Villa Bee Fly

Location: Western Australia, South West

Season: Summer, December

Order: Diptera 

Suborder: Brachycera 

Infraorder: Asilomorpha 

Superfamily: Asiloidea 

Family: Bombyliidae

Subfamily: Anthracinae

Tribe: Villini

Subfamily: Exoprosopinae

Genus: Villa

This is not a bee but a bee fly which belongs to the same family as bees (Bombyliidae). It is resembles a bee to make its predators think it is a bee hence warding them off. Bee fly is a stingless fly. It is a main pollinator for many desert plants. My resarch shows that this is a Villa Bee fly. Species identification depends on the venation, the colouration of abdominal bands, the colour and distribution of tomentum (hair on the sides). This bee fly I spotted has black and white banding with the 4th band the lightest. The tomentum on the thorax is yellowish. There is a distinct white spot at the top wing base (humeral plate), the costal margin of the wings is dark. I can't tell what species this is.

Here is a guide to species identification of Canadian Villa Bee Flies: http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/kme_06/villa.html

Here is some information about Australian flies of subfamily Anthracinae
http://australasianasiloidea.myspecies.info/category/asiloidea/bombyliidae/anthracinae