White-striped Golden True Bee Fly - Staurostichus sp.

Family Bombyliidae

This page contains pictures and information about White-striped Golden True Bee Fly in that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 8mm

This Bee Fly has the stout and hairy body in golden brown colour, with long and slender proboscis. It looked similar to the Golden True Beefly except it has two white stripes along its thorax. All legs are black in colour. The antennae are relatively long with the 3rd segment slender.



Pictures taken in Karawatha Forest near the Lagoon, Sep 2008.



On Sep 2009, we saw many of them hovering or resting on sandy footpath in Karawatha Forest. We believe it was their mating and laying-egg season.







Reference:
1. Bee Flies of the World. The genera of the family Bombyliidae - Hull, F.M. 1973, Bulletin of the United States National Museum 286: 1-687 [104].
2. Studies in Pacific Bombyliidae (Diptera). IX. Systematic remarks on Australian Bombyliinae, with descriptions of new genera - Evenhuis, N.L. 1983, International Journal of Entomology 25: 206-214 [Date published 27 October] [206].