Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs Bee FliesAnthrax sp (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria sp (Bee Fly) Balaana abscondita Ligyra cingulata Neosardus sp

Bee Flies are a group of insects in the family Bombyliidae, order Diptera. Most bee flies have black coloration, many species have striking wing patterns. They are small to medium in size (between 4–20 mm). The adult bee flies usually feed on nectar and pollen, some species being important pollinators.

The larvae of this group are generally parasitoids of other insects. with some species known to parasitize bees and wasps.

Bee fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.
Anthrax sp (Bee Fly family Bombyliidae)
Australian Desert Rose (Gossypium australe) with Australiphthiria sp, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Australiphthiria sp (Bee Fly) (subfamily Phthiriinae)
Balaana Beefly (Balaana abscondita), Alice Springs, NT
Balaana Beefly (Balaana abscondita)
Ligyra cingulata - Bee Fly, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Ligyra cingulata
Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae), Alice Springs NT
Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae)
Bee fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.
Bee fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.
Australian Desert Rose (Gossypium australe) with Australiphthiria sp, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Australiphthiria sp on Australian Desert Rose (Gossypium australe), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Balaana Beefly (Balaana abscondita), Alice Springs, NT
Balaana Beefly (Balaana abscondita), Alice Springs, NT
Ligyra cingulata - Bee Fly, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Ligyra cingulata – Bee Fly, Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae), Alice Springs NT
Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae), Alice Springs NT

More information in our section Insects | Diptera | Bee Flies | Bee Flies Index


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Diptera
  • Suborder: Brachycera
  • Informal: Orthorrhapha
  • Superfamily: Asiloidea
  • Family: Bombyliidae
  • Subfamily:
    • Anthracinae
    • Antoniinae
    • Bombyliinae
    • Cythereinae
    • Ecliminae Hall, 1969
    • Lomatiinae
    • Mythicomyiinae
    • Phthiriinae Becker, 1913
    • Tomomyzinae
    • Toxophorinae

Footnote & References

  1. Bombyliidae Latreille, 1802, Bee Flies, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Bombyliidae
  2. Bee Flies (Family Bombyliidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/51558-Bombyliidae

Alice Springs Bee FliesAnthrax sp (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria sp (Bee Fly) Balaana abscondita Ligyra cingulata Neosardus sp

Alice Springs DipteraGreen Blowfly Bee Flies Golden Native Drone Fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) Microtropesa sp (Tachinid Fly) Mydas Fly, Miltinus sp Robber Fly, Bathypogon sp Rutilia sp Soldier Flies (Odontomyia) Stiletto Fly (Agapophytus yeatesi) Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly, Ischiodon scutellaris

Alice Springs InsectsAntlion (Heoclisis fundata) Ants (Formicidae) Bees Beetles Index Blattodea Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans) Cicadas Coleoptera Diptera Dragonflies Mantodea – Mantises Orthoptera – Orthopteroids True Bugs (Heteroptera) Wasps

Alice Springs FaunaNative Bees Beetles Birds Gastropods (Gastropoda) Insects Marsupials Reptiles Spiders

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