Bombylius

Bombylius major, photographed by Antonio Sanchez Floro.

Belongs within: Bombyliinae.

Bombylius is a genus of long-proboscid bee flies that, as larvae, are parasites of solitary bees. Adults are mostly active in spring and early summer (Kits et al. 2008).

Characters (from Kits et al. 2008): Medium sized (5-13 mm) flies with short antennae and very long proboscis. Crossvein r-m situated beyond basal quarter of cell dm, vein M₂ present and complete, cell br longer than cell bm, cell r5 closed before wing margin.

<==Bombylius Linnaeus 1758 L58
    |--B. albicans Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. ambustus K01
    |--B. argyropyga Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. atriceps KME08
    |--B. comanche KME08
    |--B. fraudulentus KME08
    |--B. fulvibasoides KME08
    |--B. incanus KME08
    |--B. leucopyga Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. maculipennis Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. major Linnaeus 1758 L58
    |--B. medius Linnaeus 1758 L58
    |--B. mexicanus KME08
    |--B. minor Linnaeus 1758 L58
    |--B. numida Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. (Triplasius) polius Zaitzev 2004 F05
    |--B. pulchellus KME08
    |--B. pygmaeus KME08
    |--B. singularis Macquart 1849 E12
    |--B. validus KME08
    `--B. varius KME08

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[F05] Fernández, J. 2005. Noticia de nuevos táxones para la ciencia en el ámbito Íbero-Balear y Macaronésico. Nuevos táxones animales descritos en la península Ibérica y Macaronesia desde 1994 (IX). Graellsia 61 (2): 261–282.

[K01] Kertész, K. 1901. Legyek [Dipteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 179–201. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[KME08] Kits, J. H., S. A. Marshall & N. L. Evenhuis. 2008. The bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) of Ontario, with a key to the species of eastern Canada. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 6: 1–52.

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

Last updated: 11 June 2017.