Names and Taxonomy
- Common Names: Bomber Fly
- Synonyms: Comastes robustus
- Order: Diptera (Flies)
- Family: Bombyliidae (Bomber Flies)
- Genus Information: 1 species in NV, 3 in CA, 5 in US
Heterostylum robustum
Bomber Fly
Introduction:
The bomber fly is a large bee fly, often mistaken for a bee due to its fuzzy appearance and coloration.
Life Cycle: Females lay eggs near or in the nests of host bees and wasps. The first-instar larva then finds its way to a host larva's cell and feeds on it. It is the principal parasite of the alkali bee Nomia melanderi, an important alfalfa pollinator across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming. Other hosts of the fly include solitary bees such as Nomia nevadensis bakeri, Dieunomia triangulifera, Calliopsis anthidia, Nomia scutellaris, and Halictus rubicundus.
Size 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm)
Sexual Dimorphism:
Metamorphosis: complete (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
