Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Photo#18281
blotch-winged bee fly - Bombylius pulchellus

blotch-winged bee fly - Bombylius pulchellus
Ailsa Craig, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada
May 20, 2005
Size: about 6 mm
On path in weedy field beside river. The thorax pattern looks similar to Patrick's photos of Bombylius pygmaeus but the wings have more/heavier spots and the abdomen is spotted. Just variation?

Images of this individual: tag all
blotch-winged bee fly - Bombylius pulchellus blotch-winged bee fly - Bombylius pulchellus

Caution, worn specimen.
Bee flies are incredibly delicate, and all those hairs practically fall off if you look at them cock-eyed! This one has lost most of the hair on the abdomen, hence this strange pattern. I have lots of naked bee flies in my collection:-)

 
Bombylius pulchellus
Update 10 May 2006: Thanks to Joel Kits for identifying these to species. Images moved from family page to new species page.

 
Range?
Are these flies found in Wi? Found Bombylius major and another sp. living closely to bee colonies in clay banks also found Cicindela limbalis.

 
probably
B. pulchellus is found in areas bordering Wisconsin (Minnesota, Illinois, Ontario), so I presume it's in Wisconsin too. See Guide page.