Bug FAQAnthracite Bee-Fly
Anthrax anthrax · Order: Diptera · Family: Bombyliidae
The Anthracite Bee-Fly is about 10 mm long and mostly black with distinctive white markings on its back and abdomen. It is seen from May through August across mainland Europe and often visits insect hotels in the Netherlands. Females lay eggs near mason-bee nests; the larvae then enter the nests and feed on the bee larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The fly’s body is black with four white spots on the second and third tergites and two white spots at the abdomen tip. The first tergite is black with side tufts of white hairs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are about 10 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from May to August throughout mainland Europe. In the Netherlands it commonly visits insect hotels.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Females flick eggs toward mason-bee nest entrances. After hatching, larvae enter the nests and feed on the bee larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae find their way into the nests and feed on the bee larva.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are present from May through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes many European and Asian countries such as Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and also Afghanistan, China and others.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the Anthracite Bee-Fly look like?
It is a 10 mm black fly with white spots on the second and third tergites and two spots at the abdomen tip, plus white hair tufts on the first tergite.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see this fly?
Adults are active from May to August across mainland Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
What does it eat?
The larvae feed on the larvae of mason bees after entering their nests.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Bombyliidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_anthrax
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.