Volucella bombylans is a large species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae.

[4] They look something like a bumblebee with a furry black, yellow and/or white body, but they are given away by their heads, plumed antennae,[3] large eyes and the particular wing venation, which make them quite easy to identify as a true fly, like a blowfly.

The mesonotum bears black or yellow hairs on the sides, while the scutellum is brownish or yellowish.

The abdomen is yellow at the base and black in the middle, with long, dense hairs at the end.

The adults feed on nectar and pollen (mainly on Valeriana officinalis, Geranium sylvaticum, Centaurea jacea, Cirsium palustre, Epilobium angustifolium, etc.