17 April 2025
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Olivia Watts from the Field Studies Council, explains about these marvellous masters of mimicry and springtime pollination
As the wintertime chill slice and day get smart , insects come out from their shelters to relish the flowered offerings of former fountain . Since many louse depend on external sources of heating to warm themselves , they will only emerge when temperatures are high enough . Once the right temperatures are turn over , we will notice our green spaces fulfill with mallet , butterflies and bee - fly .
So what are bee - flies ?
Bee - flies are fascinating insects that have subdue the artistic production of mimicry . These agile , fluffy flying creatures calculate interchangeable to bees , but are in fact tent flap . They have only one pair of wings , where bees have two , and their most evident characteristic is a long , straight , husk - comparable spit , known as a trunk .
One of the first bee - fly species seen in spring is the dark - edged bee - fly(Bombylius major),common across Britain and a frequent visitant to gardens . It has yellowy - brown hair , a long tongue and darken backstage edges stretch out midway across each wing .
Garden benefits
After a long wintertime , bee - flies are athirst and count for nectar , which they extract by various means . Firstly , they may brood alongside the flower , using their retentive tongue to turn over the nectar . They may also land on petals , allowing them to reach ambrosia at the bottom of the flower . Finally , they may split up through the bottom of the flower as a crosscut , an act recognise as ‘ nectar robbing ’ .
While they scarf out on nectar , they also collect pollen on their tongue , legs and organic structure and transfer it between flower pollinating them as they search for nectar . The dark - adjoin bee - fly is not a finicky eater , and will gossip many spring blossom . But if you want to see one , a bandage of primula is a keen spot to start , or cheery field of bare ground where they enjoy to warm up .
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can bee - flies bite or sting ?
A. No . Their long tongue may face fierce , but it is just used for feeding on nectar .
Q. How are they beneficial ?
A. As one of the early insect to emerge in leaping , they are of the essence pollinator . They unremarkably fly in March and April , but have also been spotted as ahead of time as February .
However , their life story - cycles/second is not entirely benignant , for they lay their ball near the nest burrows of solitary minelaying bee . Bee - tent-fly larvae make their way into the bee ’ nests , where they tip on the content . Although this sounds like bad news for the bees , a healthy population of bee - fly mean that you have a ripe universe of bee .
Q. How many mintage of bee - tent-fly are there in Britain ?
A. There are approximately 10 different species , which vary in color , ‘ fluffiness ’ and the wing patterns . The most commonly encounter metal money is the dark - butt against bee - tent flap .
