Bumblebee mimic hoverfly

A bumblebee mimic hoverfly on a purple thistle flower. It's a fuzzy black and yellow hoverfly with a white tip to the abdomen, looking just like a bee. It's given away by its large eyes and short antennae

Volucella bombylans © Janet Packham

Bumblebee mimic hoverfly

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Scientific name: Volucella bombylans
This furry hoverfly does an impressive job of impersonating a bee.

Top facts

Stats

Wing length: 8-14mm

Conservation status

Common

When to see

May to September

About

The bumblebee mimic hoverfly, sometimes known as the bumblebee plumehorn, is a common sight across the UK in late spring and summer. As its name suggests, it does an impressive job of mimicking a bumblebee, complete with a furry body. They're often found along hedgerows and the edges of woodland, or in scrubby areas. They visit a wide range of flowers, including thistles and brambles. Males are highly territorial and will defend their favourite sunlit leaf from other males, occasionally darting out to look for females.

What to look for

This fairly large hoverfly looks very similar to a bee, with fuzzy hairs covering its body. There are a few features that give it away as a hoverfly: it has larger eyes, shorter antennae and only one pair of wings. It can be told from most other bee mimicking hoverflies by the plume-like bristles extending from its antennae.

There are two common forms of this bumblebee mimic. Some are mostly black with a reddish-orange patch at the end of the abdomen, resembling a red-tailed bumblebee. Others are black with yellow bands and a white patch at the end of the abdomen, more like a white-tailed bumblebee.

Where to find

Widespread

Did you know?

The larvae of this hoverfly live as scavengers in the nests of bumblebees and social wasps, where they feed on debris. They may occasionally also eat the larvae of the bees or wasps.