Bee Fly

Bees have 4 wings, a narrow waist, furry body, narrow eyes, long antennae. Wasps have 4 wings, a very narrow waist, bristly body, narrow eyes and long antennae. Flies have 2 wings, a ‘hidden’ waist, bristly body, large eyes and short antennae. Bee Flies have 2 wings, a ‘hidden’ waist, hairy body, large eyes and a long, unretractable proboscis.

There are many hundreds of species of Bee Flies so I won’t attempt to identify this one I found at the Bunyip Sanctuary some months ago. Worldwide, there is estimated to be hundreds of species yet to be described and for many species, their life cycles are completely unknown.

 Bee Flies are often found in sunny spots, frequently resting on bare ground or rocks, or hovering over flowers rather like Hover Flies. They feed on nectar and pollen and are important pollinators for many native plants.

They can vary in size from just a few millimetres to over 2 centimetres. Their larvae mostly parasitize other insects and their larvae.