La famille des bombillidés regroupe des mouches très poilues qui semblent recouvertes de fourrure. Elles possèdent une trompe allongée qui leur permet de pomper le nectar en vol stationnaire.

All species in the genus share a similarity with the unrelated bees and bumblebees, which they mimic, possessing a thick coat of fur, with a colour ranging from yellow to orange. They can, however, 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), by their rapid and darting flight, and by the peculiar structure of their legs.[2] As larvae, they are parasitic and infest the nests of solitary bees, consuming their food stores and grubs.