The cute, long-nosed, furry appearance of most bee-flies belies their parasitic habits. All bee-flies are parisitoids, with most species laying their eggs on solitary bees and wasps and the larvae eating the living flesh of their hosts.
The sun-loving nature of bee-flies gives them a distinctly southern bias within the UK. Of the 9 resident species, only 3 venture appreciably away from the south: Bombylius major, Phthiria pulicaria and Villa modesta.
The wings of a hovering bee-fly move so rapidly that even the diagnostic, broad, dark-brown border to the wings of Bombylius major, Britain's commonest bee-fly, are rendered invisible in the photo below.
Villa modesta lacks the characteristic long proboscis of the Bombylius species. This is a widespread species in the UK which is found on most of the major dune systems in England, Wales and the eastern coast of Scotland.
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