Bee Fly

Description:

This large fly is a bee mimic and resembles a small bumble bee. The adult has a hairy body with long hairy legs and a characteristically long, slender tongue which they use to retrieve nectar whilst appearing to hover beside a flower head. This fly is known to parasitise beetle lava as well as the brood of solitary wasps and bees. The female has been seen to flick her eggs into the ground nests of bees and wasps.

Habitat:

It is found in a wide variety of habitats including gardens and woodland rides. Most essential is the presence of it's host species which are often active very early in spring.