Villa Bee Fly vs Heineken Hoverfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Villa Bee Fly Heineken Hoverfly
Scientific Name Villa hottentotta Rhingia campestris
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bombyliidae Syrphidae
Size 10-16 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Parasitoids Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Central Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Villa Bee Fly

A striking bee fly with dark-tipped wings and a stout, densely hairy body. Its larvae are parasitoids of moth caterpillars and pupae in the soil.

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Did You Know?

Despite its fearsome appearance with dark smoky wings, it is a harmless nectar feeder that cannot bite or sting.

Heineken Hoverfly

An unmistakable hoverfly with a long, beak-like snout used to reach nectar in tubular flowers. It has an orange abdomen and dark thorax.

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Did You Know?

It is nicknamed the Heineken fly because its long snout lets it reach the nectar other hoverflies cannot reach.