BOMBYLIUS, in natural history, a ge nus of insects of the order Diptera : the generic character is, mouth furnished with a very long porrected, setaceous, bivalve trunk, composed of horizontal valves, including setaceons piercers. The insects of this germs have somewhat the appearance of the smaller kinds of hum ble bees; thickly covered with erect downy hair : they fly with much rapidity, and may sometimes be observed to hang, as if suspended, over a flower, in the manner of some of the apinges, rapidly vibrating their wings, and dart ing off' on the least disturbance to considerable distance. There are forty eight species, according to Gmelin. The 2Equalis, in the spring and early summer, is often seen in gardens and fields ; and is easily distinguished by its downy bee-like body, and its straight sharp-pointed proboscis. Its body is co vered with cinereous hair, and the wings are blackish along the whole length of the outer margil. The Pygmmus has
the wings half black, and the other half dotted with black : thorax brown, with a white base and tip : the abdomen hairy, ferruginous : legs ferruginous : B. aureus is hairy ; thorax brown ; abdomen gold en, from which it derives its name. It is found in Barbary. The head is covered with golden coloured hairs; the sides of the thorax are lined with golden-coloured hairs ; abdomen with tufts of hairs ; wings brownish at the base, the tip whit ish, with six black dots ; legs testaceous.
This genus is separated into three divi sions, viz. A. distinguished by two hairy feelers : attennw united at the base : B. sucker with three incumbent bristles ; no feelers; attennx approximate : C. attennz distant, the last joint subulate, and two feelers.