Heath bee-fly  (Bombylius minor)

Bee-flies are named for their resemblance to true bees. However, they belong to the order Diptera (flies), which only possess two wings, whereas bees have four wings. The second pair is not easy to see in the field, and the best way to identify bee-flies is from their much shorter antennae. Bee-flies are divided into two groups, those with long tongues and those with short tongues. The heath bee-fly belongs to the group with long tongues and this provides another means of identifying them from bees. The heath bee-fly has a brown furry body, a relatively short abdomen, and proportionately long wings, which are held outstretched when the insect is at rest.