Furry Dronefly

The Furry Dronefly is a very furry, bumblebee mimic. It has a yellow scutellum, but otherwise the body pattern is variable. The male abdomen has brownish hairs and the female abdomen has blackish hairs. Females often have a white tail.

They can be seen from March to November in wet woodlands, or marshland, especially where Sallow is common.

They have rat-tailed larvae that develop in ponds in rotting vegetation, in field drains, in slurry and in cow dung on water-logged ground.

It is generally widespread and fairly common throughout Britain, but is seldom seen in large numbers.