Species of the day: Bee-fly
By James Duncan
Learning & Engagement Officer
The Bee-flies have the fluffy, furry appearance of a Bumblebee. However, their name is partially misleading as they're merely impersonating bees and are comprehensively a Fly. They also sport what appears to be the insect-equivalent of a Narwhal tusk, though is in fact a proboscis (tongue) for sipping nectar as opposed to a weapon for impaling unsuspecting victims. There are four numerous UK species in the genus Bombylius, and the commonest of all is the Dark-edged (or Large) Bee-fly (Bombylius major). They're also some of the earliest flying insects, so now's the perfect time to keep an eye out as they make use of early spring flowers.
The Bee-flies are totally incapable of biting, stinging or harming humans but they do harbour a dark secret that belies their fluffy appearance - they're parasites of solitary bees. Their visual similarity to bees assists not only as protective camouflage but in their quest to reproduce and the devious method used. You may spot a Bee-fly 'sunbathing,' a time when females collect grains of dust and sand in their abdomens to mix with their eggs. Seems a strange plan, but the ploy is to add weight to the eggs and cover any indicators of her biological 'trojan horses.' She'll then undertake a bombing run, where with a flick of her abdomen the eggs will be launched into an unsuspecting solitary bee nest. Of course, this doesn't end well for the bees and when the bee-flies hatch, the larvae will eventually devour the bee grubs.
Their method of survival may seem gruesome, but it's important to consider these intricate relationships have existed in nature for an awful long time. There's no evidence to suggest that the parasitisation causes declines in solitary bee numbers. The Bee-fly (along with many other true flies) is in fact a useful generalist pollinator, visiting a wide variety of flowers from numerous plant families.
Bee-fly © James Duncan
Comments
Loads about in my Crowborough garden this year. The female has already been flicking eggs at suitable looking holes.
09 Apr 2020 10:46:00
Seen in our garden
09 Apr 2020 10:46:00
I saw one in our garden yesterday & have been intrigued by them over the last few years
09 Apr 2020 10:50:00
Never noticed them till this year, on a rosemary bush in the garden. There fascinating to watch. John
09 Apr 2020 11:02:00
We’ve had quite a few in our garden in Seaford. I don’t recall having ever seen them before.
09 Apr 2020 11:22:00
Yes I have seen a bee-fly in our polytunnel this week. I have never seen one before until this year.
09 Apr 2020 11:26:00
Seen these in our garden in Brighton and on the Cowslip bank at Stanmer. I wondered if it was a mini Humming Bird Moth. It was feeding on Grape Hyacinth nectar in the garden.
09 Apr 2020 11:29:00
I’ve seen them in Southover Grange Gardens and by the Ouse in Lewes over the past week or so. They’re quite cute for a fly!
09 Apr 2020 11:30:00
Seen for first time in our garden in Bognor Regis – Male and female seen
09 Apr 2020 11:38:00
I saw one for the first time last year in my garden in Lewes…..will look out again this year!
09 Apr 2020 11:42:00
Just saw one this morning in my garden in Worthing!
Cute little thing!
09 Apr 2020 11:46:00
Seen quite a few in Durrington, worthing
09 Apr 2020 11:46:00
Vast nu.mbers in my rural garden in Bury
09 Apr 2020 11:55:00
Wow! Had been wondering what the insect was that flew near me a couple of days ago!! Had been in the garden with our dog when this strange bee-like insect flew close to me. At first I thought it might have been a Humming Bird Hawk Moth but realised quickly that it was smaller. The Bee – fly doesn’t appear in my garden wildlife book. Hope I get to s another one!!
09 Apr 2020 12:03:00
Saw a couple today x.
09 Apr 2020 12:04:00
Yesterday I took a lovely close up of one with its proboscis in the centre of a forget-me-not flower. Charming little fellas!
09 Apr 2020 12:13:00
I know Benenden is in Kent, not Sussex, but I have masses of them in my garden, they love the forget-me-nots!
09 Apr 2020 12:27:00
Have seen one quite a bit this week loves to annoy my dog been in garden every day
09 Apr 2020 12:29:00
We’ve had one in our garden in Polegate for the past several days.
09 Apr 2020 12:31:00
Loads in Worthing if seems.
They stay still long enough when ‘sunbathing’ to get great photos!
09 Apr 2020 12:32:00
Plenty of bee-flies in my garden in Seaford as well particularly on the flowers of Pulmonaria.
09 Apr 2020 12:48:00
Been watching one for days, it spends hours hovering 5-30cm above a paved area. Can anyone tell me why please??
09 Apr 2020 12:50:00
I have just been watching a very busy bee-fly in my garden in Lewes this morning, just as I was reading about them in the newspaper.
09 Apr 2020 12:51:00
we saw one in our garden in Lewes too, feeding from a marsh marigold flower. very cute!
09 Apr 2020 12:58:00
There have been plenty in our garden in Yapton. We did wonder what they were as we have not seen them before.
09 Apr 2020 13:03:00
There was one in the garden the other day, forging in the flowers in High Salvington
09 Apr 2020 13:03:00
We saw one when walking in Knowlands wood near Barcombe this morning and wondered what it was. Now we know!! Very interesting.
09 Apr 2020 13:14:00
Seen several in the garden already – in Old Holbrook, Horsham.
09 Apr 2020 13:16:00
Have had them in our Lewes garden for more than a week now – don’t ever remember seeing so many, so early
09 Apr 2020 13:27:00
Saw one at 14-47 in roffey
09 Apr 2020 13:47:00
have seen three in my woodingdean garden 8th and 9th april feeding on alkanet and oxslip. what a great year for bumble bees too, but where are all the red tailed bumble bees ? ihave yet to see one!
09 Apr 2020 14:30:00
Yes, I have had them in my garden for many years in St Leonards – they are a delight to watch.
09 Apr 2020 14:37:00
Hi James, Thanks for the info. I don’t remember these critters from my youth in the 60s and 70s. Have they always been around or are they more numerous now due to climate change?
09 Apr 2020 14:38:00
It was the unusual flight that caught my eye when I saw a bee fly on the plum tree blossom. They do something amazing with their wings!
09 Apr 2020 14:47:00
Set one free from our conservatory, Seaford. I’ve never knowingly seen one before.
09 Apr 2020 14:56:00
We have loads on our grape hyacinths in Selsey. I first noticed them maybe 6 or 7 years ago, but that’s not to say they weren’t there before.
09 Apr 2020 15:04:00
Hi,we have some of these lovely little insects in our garden never seen them before very unusual.
09 Apr 2020 15:20:00
They have appeared recently. Have had them in my garden in Penge, London for many many years.
09 Apr 2020 15:50:00
Loads in our garden in herstmonceux
09 Apr 2020 16:09:00
Seen lots this year in the gardens in southwick
09 Apr 2020 16:16:00
I saw one in my garden today, sipping nectar from forget-me-nots. I don’t know the life cycle of these insects, but would like to. Anybody know ?
09 Apr 2020 16:17:00
Saw a Bee-fly yesterday here in Worthing – have seen them a few times in previous years – saw an aeroplane a few days ago – now that is rare indeed.
09 Apr 2020 16:29:00
Painting my garage today.
Made out of concrete slacks
Loads of small holes.
Must of counted at least 6
09 Apr 2020 18:03:00
There seem to be more than usual this year in our garden just north of St Leonards but there are also an unusual number of very large queen bumbles, some black all over, some with red tails, some with white tails. Hope this means a good year for them.
09 Apr 2020 19:16:00
Yep got them in the garden in Shoreham. I really like them
09 Apr 2020 19:24:00
Saw one today in Nutbourne, never knew they existed until today
09 Apr 2020 20:05:00
Thankyou for your article. We have seen a few of these bee/flies over the past few days. I have not noticed them before and was mystified as to what they were. Thankyou
09 Apr 2020 20:29:00
Does anyone know if the bee fly likes to hover? Noticed the other day about 5 of them just hovering around but by the time I went outside they had disappeared! Did see a massive bumble bee that was all black with a orange bit on its back that took a fancy to these leaves that were near to where I was sitting!
09 Apr 2020 20:51:00
As others have said, seen quite a few over the last week or so & never seen them before.
09 Apr 2020 21:52:00
How funny that this Bee-fly post popped up today. I saw one only yesterday . While sitting in the sun on my studio steps . I watched it with curiosity & wondered what it was .
Thanks 🙏🏽 😁
09 Apr 2020 22:38:00
I’ve seen one and numerous insects with the advent of warming days.
I’ve been loving the way wildlife is taking advantage of fewer humans ruining their daily lives since the lock down.
10 Apr 2020 03:49:00
Thank you so much for this article: we’ve had several of these distinctive bee flies hovering around us in our Burwash garden and it was great to discover their extraordinary parasitic life cycle!!
10 Apr 2020 07:02:00
oh this is great article, saw one yesterday and it freaked me a bit, now I know what I was looking at……..
10 Apr 2020 08:58:00
Loads of bee flies today in Brighton. They live my forget me not
10 Apr 2020 10:35:00
There are numerous bee flies in the garden, often hanging in the air in the sunshine. We live in Storrington West Sussex.
10 Apr 2020 17:23:00
Saw one for the first time a few days ago, it had come into the greenhouse after some flowering plants. Rudgwick
11 Apr 2020 04:28:00
I saw one in the wild rununculus a few weeks ago in Shoreham. I’ve never seen one before in nearly 80 years. They seem to be all over the south from the comments; are they doing better now?
12 Apr 2020 08:52:00
Have seen in our garden in Washington . We bought ourselves an excellent little insect book (the Bloomsbury/wildlife trusts one) so we could go in garden safari during lockdown… it’s a whole new world!!
14 Apr 2020 09:59:00
Never noticed them before, despite being quite a bug freak, but was captivated when I first spotted one in our garden in Playden, Rye the other day
14 Apr 2020 18:35:00
See at least one every year around April and May sometimes later on low growing flowers and foliage. Never seen two at the same time at work most days so a chance sighting. Seen in Horam last 3-4 years.
16 Apr 2020 19:26:00
Definitely first sightings of Bee-flies in our Balcombe garden this year. Have seen them elsewhere before. Usually singletons but one sighting of two about three feet apart.
17 Apr 2020 14:19:00
have seen three in my woodingdean garden 8th and 9th april feeding on alkanet and oxslip. what a great year for bumble bees too, but where are all the red tailed bumble bees ? ihave yet to see one!
17 Apr 2020 15:23:00
Spotted a bee fly in my Shoreham-by-Sea garden today, 30th March 2021. Saw for first time last year.
30 Mar 2021 21:40:00
spotted one this evening, resting in the sun 1750hrs, Staffordshire!
05 Apr 2022 16:57:00
I saw this pair in my garden in the village of Over Cambridge yesterday afternoon.
08 Apr 2025 15:04:00
Just seen some in our Uckfield garden. Never noticed them before
12 Apr 2025 09:53:00
Just seen some in our Uckfield garden. Never noticed them before
12 Apr 2025 16:48:00