Andy Sands / Downland bee-fly (Villa cingulata) male, this rare southern species is usually seen on calcareous grassland in the Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, June

Kerstin Hinze / Greater bee fly (Bombylius) nectaring from Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) flowers, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, April.

Kerstin Hinze / Greater bee fly (Bombylius) nectaring from Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) flowers, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, April.

Kerstin Hinze / Greater bee fly (Bombylius) nectaring from Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) flowers, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, April.

Konrad Wothe / Slow motion clip of a Bumblebee (Bombus) nectaring on a Marsh gladiolus (Gladiolus palustris), with a Bee fly (Bombyliidae) flying nearby, Bavaria, Germany, July.

Dave Bevan / Slow motion clip of a Dark edged bee fly (Bombylius major) nectaring from a Primrose flower (Primula vulgaris), Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, May.

Rod Williams / Dark-edged bee-fly (Bombylius major) Beverley Court Gardens, Lewisham, London, England, UK. April.

Nick Upton / Downland villa bee fly (Villa cingulata) feeding on Common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) flowers, Wiltshire, UK, July, Locally Endangered species.

Bernard Castelein / Beefly (Bombyllus major) on sand, Klein Schietveld, Brasschaat, Belgium, March.

Michael Hutchinson / Large Bee-fly (Bombylius major) feeding on forget-me-not flowers, April, Bristol, UK

Michael Hutchinson / Large bee fly (Bombylius major) close-up showing proboscis, Bristol, UK, April.

Michael Hutchinson / Large bee fly (Bombylius major), hanging upside-down from Japanese Maple, Bristol, UK, May.