Bombylius

Taxobox
name = Bombylius

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Bombylius major"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Brachycera
familia = Bombyliidae
subfamilia = Bombyliinae
genus = "Bombylius"
genus_authority = Linnaeus, 1758
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

"Bombylius" is a large genus of flies belonging to the family Bombyliidae, known as the bee-flies, due to their striking resemblance to bees and bumblebees, and are distributed through environments world-wide.One species of the genus, "B. major", is widely distributed throughout the whole northern hemisphere and in North Africa, and is very well known. cite web | url = http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/beefly.htm | title = Kendall Bioresearch Services ]

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 for probing for nectar as they fly (much like a hummingbird), by their rapid and darting flight, and by the peculiar structure of their legs.cite web | url = http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/beefly.htm | title = Kendall Bioresearch Services ] As larvae, they are parasitic and infest the nests of solitary bees, consuming their food stores and grubs.cite web | url = http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/beefly.htm | title = Kendall Bioresearch Services ]

pecies

=European species=

*"B. aaroni" - Canary Islands
*"B. ambustus" - southern Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. analis" - southern Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. candidus" - Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. canescens" - Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. cinerarius" - southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. cinerascens" - Europe, Near East [http://www.linternaute.com/nature-animaux/animaux/diaporama/photographe-animalier/cedric-girard/11.shtml]
*"B. citrinus" - southern Europe, Near East
*"B. cruciatus" - southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
*"B. discolor" - Europe, Near East [http://www.rodeland.de/fotos/diptera/bombylius_discolor.htm]
*"B. fimbriatus" - Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. flavipes" - Italy, Spain, Near East, North Africa
*"B. floccosus" - southeastern Europe, Near East
*"B. fulvescens" - Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. fumosus" - Spain
*"B. fuscus" - southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. kutshurganicus" - southern Russia, Ukraine, Moldova
*"B. leucopygus" - Spain, North Africa
*"B. medius" - Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. minor" - Palaearctic, Near East [http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/invertebrates_terrestrial_and_freshwater/Bombylius_minor/]
*"B. modestus" - southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. mus" - southern Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. niveus" - southern Europe, Near East
*"B. nubilis" - central and southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
*"B. oceanus" - Canary Islands
*"B. pallens" - Italy, Spain, Portugal
*"B. pardalotus" - Italy, Spain
*"B. pintuarius" - Canary Islands
*"B. posticus" - Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. pumilus" - southern Europe, Near East
*"B. quadrifarius" - seoutheastern Europe, eastern Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. semifuscus" - Palaearctic, Near East, North Africa
*"B. shelkovnikovi" - Italy, Greece, eastern Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. torquatus" - southern Europe, Near East, North Africa
*"B. trichurus" - Palaearctic, Near East
*"B. venosus" - Europe, Near East

North American species

*"B. aestivus"
*"B. albicapillus"
*"B. altimyia"
*"B. anthophilus"
*"B. anthophoroides"
*"B. arizonicus"
*"B. atriceps"
*"B. aureus"
*"B. aurifer"
*"B. auriferiodes"
*"B. austini"
*"B. balion"
*"B. ballmeri"
*"B. breviabdominalis"
*"B. cachinnans"
*"B. cinerivus"
*"B. comanche"
*"B. curtirhynchus"
*"B. diegoensis"
*"B. duncani"
*"B. eboreus"
*"B. facialis"
*"B. fascipennis"
*"B. flavifacies"
*"B. flavipilosa"
*"B. fraudulentus"
*"B. frommerorum"
*"B. fulvibasoides"
*"B. helvus"
*"B. heximaculatus"
*"B. incanus"
*"B. japygus"
*"B. kanabensis"
*"B. lancifer"
*"B. lassenensis"
*"B. macfarlandi"
*"B. medorae"
*"B. metopium"
*"B. mexicanus"
*"B. mohavensis"
*"B. montanus"
*"B. nevadensis"
*"B. nicholsonae"
*"B. nigriventris"
*"B. painteri"
*"B. pendens"
*"B. phlogmodes"
*"B. plichtai"
*"B. pygmaeus" [http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/insects/insectpages/Bombyliidae.htm]
*"B. quirinus"
*"B. ravus"
*"B. silvus"
*"B. sylphae"
*"B. texanus"
*"B. validus"
*"B. varius"
*"B. washingtoniensis"
*"B. xanthothrix"
*"B. zapataensis"
*"B. zircon"

References

External links

* [http://www.faunaeur.org/distribution.php Fauna Europaea]
* [http://www.nearctica.com/nomina/diptera/dipb-c.htm#anchor441416 Nomina Insecta Nearctica]