Diptera

Syrphidae

Volucella bombylans

Volucella bombylans - Cheshire, England - June 2008

Volucella bombylans is a remarkably good mimic of bumblebees that has several different colour forms.  Its larvae live as scavengers in the nests of bumblebees and social wasps, eating nest debris under the combs and occassionally attacking its host's larvae too. 

Volucella bombylans - Valais, Switzerland - July 2014