Bombylius

''Bombylius'' is a large genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae. They are known as the bee-flies, due to their striking resemblance to bees and bumblebees, and are distributed worldwide. One species of the genus, '' Bombylius major'', is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and is very well known.

Physiology

All species in the genus share a similarity with the unrelated bees and bumblebees, which they mimic, possessing a thick coat of fur, with a colour ranging from yellow to orange. They can, however, be told apart from their models by the long and stiff proboscis they possess, used to probe for nectar as they fly (much like a hummingbird), by their rapid and darting flight, and by the peculiar structure of their legs.
As larvae, they are parasitic and infest the nests of solitary bees (and possibly wasps),Searching for the Right Target: Oviposition and Feeding Behavior in ''Bombylius'' Bee Flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae)
/ref> consuming their food stores and grubs.

Species

European species

*Subgenus '' Bombylius''
**'' Bombylius aaroni'' Báez, 1983 – Canary Islands
**''Bombylius ambustus'' Pallas, 1818 – southern Palaearctic, Near East
**'' Bombylius analis'' Olivier, 1789 – southern Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius candidus'' Loew, 1855 – Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius canescens'' Mikan, 1796 – Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius cinerascens'' Mikan, 1796 – Europe, Near East
**''Bombylius citrinus'' Loew, 1855 – southern Europe, Near East
**''Bombylius discolor'' Mikan, 1796 – Europe, Near East
**''Bombylius fimbriatus'' Meigen, 1820 – Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius flavipes'' Wiedemann, 1828 – Italy, Spain, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius floccosus'' Loew, 1857 – southeastern Europe, Near East
**'' Bombylius fulvescens'' Wiedemann in Meigen, 1820 – Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius fumosus'' Dufour, 1832 – Spain
**''Bombylius fuscus'' Fabricius, 1791 – southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**'' Bombylius kutshurganicus'' Paramonov, 1926 – southern Russia, Ukraine, Moldova
**'' Bombylius major'' Linnaeus, 1758
**''Bombylius medius'' Linnaeus, 1758 – Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius minor'' Linnaeus, 1758 – Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius modestus'' Loew, 1873 – southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius mus'' Bigot, 1862 – southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius niveus'' Meigen, 1804 – southern Europe, Near East
**''Bombylius nubilus'' Mikan, 1796 – central and southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius oceanus'' Becker, 1908 – Canary Islands
**''Bombylius pallens'' Wiedemann in Meigen, 1820 – Italy, Spain, Portugal
**''Bombylius pardalotus'' François, 1969 – Italy, Spain
**''Bombylius pintuarius'' Báez, 1983 – Canary Islands
**'' Bombylius posticus'' Fabricius, 1805 – Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius pumilus'' Meigen, 1820 – southern Europe, Near East
**''Bombylius semifuscus'' Meigen, 1820 – Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius shelkovnikovi'' Paramonov, 1926 – Italy, Greece, eastern Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius torquatus'' Loew, 1855 – southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius trichurus'' Pallas, 1818 – Palaearctic, Near East
**''Bombylius venosus'' Mikan, 1796 – Europe, Near East
*Subgenus '' Zephyrectes''
**''Bombylius cinerarius'' Pallas & Wiedemann, 1818 – southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius cruciatus'' Fabricius, 1798 – southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
**''Bombylius leucopygus'' Macquart, 1846 – Spain, North Africa
**''Bombylius quadrifarius'' Loew. 1855 – southeastern Europe, eastern Palaearctic, Near East

North American species

*''Bombylius aestivus''
*'' Bombylius albicapillus''
*'' Bombylius altimyia''
*''Bombylius anthophilus''
*''Bombylius anthophoroides''
*'' Bombylius arizonicus''
*''Bombylius atriceps''
*''Bombylius aureus''
*''Bombylius aurifer''
*''Bombylius auriferiodes''
*''Bombylius austini''
*'' Bombylius balion''
*''Bombylius ballmeri''
*''Bombylius breviabdominalis''
*''Bombylius cachinnans''
*''Bombylius cinerivus''
*''Bombylius comanche''
*''Bombylius curtirhynchus''
*''Bombylius diegoensis''
*''Bombylius duncani''
*''Bombylius eboreus''
*''Bombylius facialis''
*''Bombylius fascipennis''
*''Bombylius flavifacies''
*''Bombylius flavipilosa''
*'' Bombylius fraudulentus''
*'' Bombylius frommerorum''
*''Bombylius fulvibasoides''
*''Bombylius helvus''
*''Bombylius heximaculatus''
*''Bombylius incanus''
*''Bombylius japygus''
*''Bombylius kanabensis''
*'' Bombylius lancifer''
*''Bombylius lassenensis''
*''Bombylius macfarlandi''
*''Bombylius medorae''
*''Bombylius metopium''
*''Bombylius mexicanus''
*'' Bombylius mohavensis''
*''Bombylius montanus''
*'' Bombylius nevadensis''
*''Bombylius nicholsonae''
*''Bombylius nigriventris''
*''Bombylius painteri''
*''Bombylius pendens''
*''Bombylius phlogmodes''
*''Bombylius plichtai''
*'' Bombylius pygmaeus'

*''Bombylius quirinus''
*''Bombylius ravus''
*''Bombylius silvus''
*''Bombylius sylphae''
*''Bombylius texanus''
*''Bombylius validus''
*'' Bombylius varius''
*''Bombylius washingtoniensis''
*'' Bombylius xanthothrix''
*'' Bombylius zapataensis''
*''Bombylius zircon''

Species worldwide

* List of Bombylius species

References

External links

Fauna Europaea

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2909758

Bombyliidae genera
Bombyliidae
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus