Bombylius major: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the bombylius major lives – recorded in 13 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Bombylius major
Group	Grasshoppers, bugs & other insects
Found in	13 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe, North America
Class	Insect
Order	Diptera
Family	Bombyliidae

Where does the bombylius major live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the bombylius major in 13 countries and territories across Asia, Europe and North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the bombylius major?

The bombylius major (Bombylius major) is an insect in the order Diptera and the family Bombyliidae, genus Bombylius. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the bombylius major

Bombylius major (commonly named the large bee-fly, the dark-edged bee-fly or the greater bee fly) is a parasitic bee mimic fly. B. major is the most common type of fly within the Bombylius genus. The fly derives its name from its close resemblance to bumblebees and is often mistaken for them.

Bombylius major exhibits a unique flight behavior known as "yawing" and plays a role in general pollination, without preference of flower types. The fly does not bite, sting, or spread disease. However, the fly uses this mimicry of bumblebees to its own advantage, allowing close access to host solitary bee and wasp nests in order to deposit its eggs. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to parasitically feed on the grubs.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Bombylius major (revision 1376379468), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1549111 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).