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Unlike butterflies, bee flies hold their proboscis straight, and cannot retract it. Many Bombyliidae superficially resemble bees and accordingly the prevalent common name for a member of the family is bee fly. [2] Possibly the resemblance is Batesian mimicry, affording the adults some protection from predators.
The B. major bee-fly is a common, generalist floral pollinator, meaning that it does not give preference to one flower over another, instead pollinating a wide variety of plant families and species. [2] [15] The fly uses its proboscis to carry and transfer the pollen. The species is a dominant pollinator within its community, sometimes even ...
Bombylius canescens, commonly known as the western bee-fly, [1] is a species of bee-fly belonging to the family Bombyliidae. Bombylius canescens is a Palearctic species with limited distribution in Europe, [ 2 ] usually found in arid to semi-arid habitats .
The fly larvae may also wait for the bees to enter the vulnerable pupal state before eating them. [5] The tiger bee fly is the most common parasite of the eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica. [6] It is also considered a pollinator. [7] Xylocopa virginica (carpenter bee) parasitized by Xenox tigrinus
Anthrax is a genus of bombyliid flies, commonly known as "bee-flies" due to their resemblance to bees. Most are dull black flies, and are usually small to medium in size, 4–20 millimetres (0.2–0.8 in), and many species have striking wing patterns. [5] Anthrax is a very large genus.
Villa is a genus of flies belonging to the bee-fly family (Bombyliidae). They range in size from 5 to 17 millimetres (0.20 to 0.67 in), and have typically rounded heads. The males of some species have a brilliant mat of silvery patagial scales. About 270 Villa species are found on all continents except Antarctica. [1]
Poecilanthrax willistonii, Williston's bee fly or sand dune bee fly, is a member of the Bombyliidae insect family. [2] [3] [4] This family includes the bee flies, true flies that have developed Batesian mimicry characteristics to avoid predators. That is, they look like bees because that helps them avoid bee-wary predators, but they lack stingers.
Hemipenthes sinuosa, the sinuous bee fly, is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. [1] [2] It is found across North America, including Mexico, the United States, and Canada. [2] It is very similar to the species H. jaennickeana but differs in its wing venation. [3]