Bombylius major
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~80%
Bombylius major (commonly named the large bee-fly, the dark-edged bee-fly or the greater bee fly) is a parasitic bee mimic fly. B. major is the most common type of fly within the Bombylius genus. The fly derives its name from its close resemblance to bumblebees and is often mistaken for them.
Bombylius major exhibits a unique flight behavior known as "yawing" and plays a role in general pollination, without preference of flower types. The fly does not bite, sting, or spread disease. However, the fly uses this mimicry of bumblebees to its own advantage, allowing close access to host solitary bee and wasp nests in order to deposit its eggs. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to parasitically feed on the grubs.
Bombylius major is part of the family Bombyliidae, with a reported 6000 species worldwide. The subfamily Bombyliinae contains approximately 1100 identified species. The genus Bombylius currently comprises around 450 described species.
Bombylius major can be found from April to June throughout temperate Europe, North America and some parts of Asia, concentrated in the northern hemisphere. The species occurs across a variety of environments... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 4 | Sapporo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 5 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Essen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Prague | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 8 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 10 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Bee Fly sighting in Birmingham on a given day, based on 240 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 811 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Bee Fly in Birmingham on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Bee Fly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 51 cities where we can rate Greater Bee Fly sightings, Birmingham has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come London (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Copenhagen (Denmark, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Bee Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Birmingham (240 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
