DESCRIPTION: Length from 6.5 to 12 mm.  Otherwise known as the Dark Edged Bee Fly this gorgeous insect has a dark body that is densely covered by a thick coat of lighter colored hair. The head has dark to orange hair above with paler hairs below. The boldly patterned wings have a distinct dividing border through the horizontal middle between the dark and clear portions. Antennae are short and pointed, legs are long as is the rigid proboscis at the front of the head. Males are smaller than females. BEHAVIOUR: Bombylius major exhibits a unique flight behavior known as "yawing. The species is usually seen as a stop/start feeeding machine that can disappaear before one knows it. This species sometimes acts as a nectar thief and sometimes as a pollinator. The larvae of the dark-edged bee-fly are nest parasites of ground-nesting and solitary bees, feeding on the bee grubs. DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout much of the UK but never in large numbers. PERIOD: Usually seen from March to May.