Searching for the Right Target: Oviposition and Feeding Behavior in Bombylius Bee Flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) are ectoparasitoids of larval stages of insects, often digger bees and wasps. We studied the behavior of 4 species of the genus Bombylius at a nest aggregation of their host bee, Lasioglossum malachurum Kirby, and at an adjacent feeding site. Although eggs were frequently thrown on vegetation patches, the number of eggs oviposited and the time spent in hovering flight were higher at host nest entrances. Bombylius...