Quick Facts

Scientific name:  Bombylius major

Size:  Up to 18mm long.  Wingspan 25mm

Distribution:  Found throughout the U.K.  More common in southern England

Months seen:  late March to June

Habitat:  Gardens, parks and woodland rides

Food:  Nectar. Larvae feed on honey and the larvae of bees

Special features:  Bee flies look more like a bee than a fly - hence the name.  They're sometimes called the 'Dark-edged Bee-fly', or the 'Large Bee-fly'.  Like a bumble bee they are covered in hair.  Bee flies are equipped with a long proboscis for drinking nectar from deep flowers.  When at rest (which is rare) you notice the wings have dark markings along the leading edges.

Bee flies are expert flyers, and make a high pitched buzzing sound while they hover around flowers, with their long, stilt-like legs dangling below them.

There are more than a dozen species of bee fly in the UK.  They're one of the first insects on the wing each spring and are frequently seen on primroses and bugle.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Invertebrates Section
• UK Safari Flies Section
• Identify other wildlife
• Free Newsletter