Family Bombyliidae - Bee Flies Live adult bee flies photographed
in the wild at DuPage County, Illinois, USA. Bombyliidae larvae
are almost all predators of the larval stages of other insects.
Bee Fly - Bombylius major Bombyliidae is one of the largest
families of Diptera, with over 5,000 valid species described
worldwide. Their high diversity may be due to the parasitoid
habit of the majority of their larvae. Adults feed on nectar and
pollen, and are believed to be important pollinators of many
plants, although few species have been studied in detail. Bee
flies occur on all continents except Antarctica, however their
highest diversities occur in semi-arid and arid environments
(Hull, 1973).  Bee flies do not bite or sting and are completely
harmless to humans and their pets.  The family includes a wide
variety of morphological forms, such as the large Palirika
marginicollis (Gray), with iridescent green-blue body scales
recalling those found on the wings of a Morpho butterfly, and
striking black and hyaline