Bee Fly – Anthracinae – Villa sp. No. 15

Order Diptera; Suborder Brachycera; Family Bombyliidae (Bee Flies); Subfamily: Anthracinae; Provisional scientific name: Villa sp. (WA – Yalgorup NP -1); 

Common name: Bee Fly – Female coating her eggs with sand for camouflage before releasing them into environment -  - Description: Thorax with narrow, dark brown longitudinal stripes barely visible through light brown adpressed indumentum; scutellum covered with the same; collar with silky yellowish hairs; abdomen mostly covered by light brown indumentum, it is patterned by two broad white bands and three narrow almost black bands; facial hairs between eyes snow white frontally, then above the antennae, yellowish-brown with an admixture of black hairs, extending to the ocelli; wings transparent, costal cells and associated veins brown - Distribution in Australia: Western Australia – Photographed: in January, in Wandoo National Park in Darling Range.