Bee-flies share the same characteristics with the unrelated bees and bumblebees, which they mimic: they also possess a thick coat of fur, with a colour ranging from yellow to orange. They can easily be told apart from their models by the long and stiff proboscis they possess, used for probing for nectar as they fly (much like a hummingbird). bThe adults feed mainly on pollen and nectar, and are important pollinators. As larvae, they are parasitic and infest the nests of solitary bees, consuming their food stores and grubs.