Anthrax Bee Fly I - Anthrax maculatus

Family Bombyliidae

This page contains pictures and information about Anthrax Bee Fly in Tribe Anthracini that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 10mm, male

We saw this Bee Fly in Karawatha forest Sep 2007. The Bee Fly is black in colour with black patterns on hyaline wings. There is the white spots on each side of the abdomen new the wing base.

Males have white hairs on abdomen 6 and 7. Females do not have those white hairs.


Female

This Black Bee Fly is quite common in Brisbane bushlands. They are usually found hovering near sandy ground.



We also found them Karawatha forest on Apr 2009, some of the female seemed laying eggs on vertical mud wall.



We also saw one hovering near the base of a large gum tree trunk on Sep 2009 in Carbrook Wetland.



This beefly is known laying egg on mud wasp nests.



Reference:
1. Anthrax Bee Fly - lifeunseen.com, by Nick Monaghan
2. Cryptic species diversity and character congruence: review of the tribe Anthracini (Diptera : Bombyliidae) in Australia - David K. Yeates and Christine L. Lambkin, 1998.