Laurent Geslin / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) on bark in urban park, Paris, France

Laurent Geslin / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) at rest with graffiti in the background, Paris, France.

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on bramble, Captive, UK April

Andy Sands / Common Bee Fly (Bombylius major) at rest on bramble, Captive, UK April

Dietmar Nill / Bumblebee flies from Lamium flower (Spotted deadnettle) Germany

Heather Angel / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) hovering whilst nectaring on Honesty (Lunaria annua), proboscis covered with pollen. Nature reserve, Surrey, England, UK. March.

Nick Upton / Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) nectaring on a Greater knapweed flower (Centaurea scabiosa) in a chalk grassland meadow, flies off, Wiltshire, England, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Ivy bee (Colletes hederae) feeding on Ivy flowers (Hedera helix) as another flies in, Wiltshire garden, UK, September.

Dave Bevan / Bumble bees (Bombus), Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and flies nectaring on Sedum (Sedum), Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK. September.

Lorraine Bennery / Three Bee-flies (Fallenia fasciata) mating on Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) flower, Alpilles Regional Natural Park, France, May.

Clay Bolt / Black and gold bumblebee (Bombus auricomus) flies in front of the Washington Monument on the National Mall, Washington DC, USA.

Clay Bolt / Rusty-patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) worker flies between hydrangea flowers, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Endangered species.