family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.

Bee FliesBee Fly (Anthrax) Ligyra Australiphthiria

The genus Anthrax, from the family Bombyliidae, are a group of flies known commonly as “Charcoal Bee Flies” or just “Bee Flies”.

Bee fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.
Bee Fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.

Most bee flies are black in colour, small to medium in size (between 4–20 millimetres), with striking wing patterns on many species. Some species are known to parasitize bees and wasps. The photographs here are of the Bee Fly hanging around the nesting holes of the Masked Bee (Hylaeus sp) in Alice Springs, Central Australia.

Bee fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.
Bee Fly, family Bombyliidae, genus Anthrax sp.

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Diptera
  • Suborder: Brachycera
  • Infraorder: Orthorrhapha
  • Superfamily: Asiloidea
  • Family: Bombyliidae
  • Subfamily: Anthracinae
  • Tribe: Anthracini
  • Genus: Anthrax

Footnote & References

  1. Bee flies (Bombyliidae), Canberra Nature Map, https://canberra.naturemapr.org/categories/guide/278
  2. Charcoal Bee Flies Genus Anthrax, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/130878-Anthrax
  3. Anthrax (fly), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_(fly) (last visited Nov. 24, 2021)
  4. Anthracinae, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracinae (last visited Nov. 24, 2021)
  5. Bombyliidae, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombyliidae (last visited Nov. 24, 2021)

Bee FliesBee Fly (Anthrax) Ligyra Australiphthiria

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Mango Planthopper Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Syrphidae Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub