Bee-flies (entoLEARN webinar)

Learn about the Bee-flies (Bombyliidae) of the UK with tutor Tony Madgwick.

Bee-flies (family Bombyliidae) are a charismatic family of true flies in which the most common species famously mimic ground-nesting solitary bees, having a round, brown, furry body. With their long straight proboscis obvious at rest and when feeding on nectar while hovering, and their fast darting flight, they easily attract an observer’s attention.

The life cycles of bee-flies are fascinating variations on a theme. While the adults obtain nutrients from flowers, the larvae are parasitoids, cleptoparasites, or even hyperparasitoids, of their hosts (typically solitary bees and wasps). Bee-flies are most often encountered in warm, sunny habitats such as gardens, woodland edges, and open sandy ground, and they are most often seen in early spring.

This entoLEARN webinar will cover the 9 species of bee-fly that occur within the UK mainland. Entomologist Dr Tony Madgwick will provide identification guidance and insights into the ecology of these fascinating insects, as well as information about how you can submit your sightings through Bee-fly Watch.

Cost: £12.50.