Bee Flies / Tangle-veined Flies
Bee Flies (about 750 species in North America) are medium to large-sized flies, usually stout bodied and hairy, often resembling bees. Their legs are usually slender and their wings often have dark markings and are held outstretched at rest. Their eyes are large and almost touch above, especially in males. They are often seen hovering around flowers where they use their sometimes very long proboscis to take nectar. Females may be seen hovering over sandy areas, dipping their abdomens to oviposit. Eggs are typically laid in soil, and larvae feed on immature stages of beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies/moths, or on eggs of grasshoppers. Life cycle is usually one year in temperate areas.
Tangle-veined Flies are closely related to Bee Flies. There are only about six North American species, and most occur in the western United States. In most locations, these are rather rare flies, but they can be locally common. The adult flies are of medium size and are stout-bodied; some are noticeably hairy and have a bee-like appearance. They are often seen hovering in open fields, or taking nectar from flowers. This family is easily recognised by the complex wing venation. The larvae are parasitic on grasshoppers but some are known to be parasites of soil-dwelling grubs of scarab beetles.
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