Buzzing Beauties: Discover the Secret Lives of Bee Flies

Bee flies are a large family of flies, comprising hundreds of genera. They are found all over the world, from the tropics to the poles. Bee flies range in size from very small (2 mm in length) to very large for flies (wingspan of some 40 mm).

When at rest, many species hold their wings at a characteristic “swept back” angle. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Bee flies have a long proboscis that they use to reach deep into flowers to extract nectar.

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. This resemblance is Batesian mimicry, which means that the bee flies are not actually harmful, but they mimic the appearance of bees to deter predators.