bee fly

bee fly
any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Bombyliidae, some of which resemble bees.
[1850-55, Amer.]

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insect
 any insect of the family Bombyliidae (order Diptera). Many resemble bees, and most have long proboscises (feeding organs) that are used to obtain nectar from flowers. Their metallic brown, black, or yellow colour is attributable to a covering of dense hair; in many species the body and sometimes the wings bear patches of delicate and easily abraded scales. Some bee flies are quite small, and their immature stages are unknown. Many species, including the largest and most showy, are tropical; but some species with a length of more than 1 cm (0.4 inch) live in temperate regions. They are usually found on flowers around sunny, grassy places.

 The larvae of Bombylius major, the large bee fly of the Northern Hemisphere and one of the earliest to appear in spring, are parasitic on solitary bees. Larvae of several species of Villa destroy grasshopper eggs; others are parasitic on caterpillars. Anthrax anale is a parasite of tiger beetle larvae, and the European A. trifasciata is a parasite of the wall bee. Several African species of Villa and Thyridanthrax are parasitic on the covering of the pupa of tsetse flies. Villa (Hemipenthes) morio is parasitic on the beneficial ichneumonid, Banchus femoralis. Some bee mimics in the family Syrphidae are also known as bee flies.
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bee fly — Bee Bee (b[=e]), n. [AS. be[ o]; akin to D. bij and bije, Icel. b[=y], Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh. Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. [root]97.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) An insect of the order {Hymenoptera}, and family {Apid[ae]} (the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bee fly — ee fly (b[=e] fl[imac] ), n. any dipterous insect of the family {Bombyliidae}, which eat nectar and in some cases resemble bees. Their larvae are parasitic on the larvae of bees and other insects. [WordNet 1.5 + PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bee fly — bee′ fly n. ent any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Bombyliidae, some of which resemble bees • Etymology: 1850–55, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • bee fly — ☆ bee fly n. any of a family (Bombyliidae) of dipterous flies that look like bees and feed on nectar and pollen …   English World dictionary

  • bee fly — noun hairy nectar eating fly that resembles a bee; larvae are parasitic on larvae of bees and related insects • Hypernyms: ↑fly • Member Holonyms: ↑Bombyliidae, ↑family Bombyliidae * * * noun 1. : any of numerous flies constituting a family ( …   Useful english dictionary

  • bee fly — noun a squat, hairy bee like fly whose larvae are generally parasites of bees and wasps. [Family Bombyllidae: many species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • bee-fly — /ˈbi flaɪ/ (say bee fluy) noun any fly of the dipterous family Bombyliidae, members of which more or less resemble bees …  

  • bee fly — noun Date: 1753 any of a family (Bombyliidae) of dipteran flies many of which resemble bees …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Bee — (b[=e]), n. [AS. be[ o]; akin to D. bij and bije, Icel. b[=y], Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh. Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. [root]97.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) An insect of the order {Hymenoptera}, and family {Apid[ae]} (the honeybees),… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bee beetle — Bee Bee (b[=e]), n. [AS. be[ o]; akin to D. bij and bije, Icel. b[=y], Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh. Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. [root]97.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) An insect of the order {Hymenoptera}, and family {Apid[ae]} (the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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