Features a robust, densely hairy body that exhibits striking Batesian mimicry with bumblebees of the genus Bombus. This imposing dipteran measures approximately 25 to 35 millimeters in total body length. Its body is covered in a dense pile of setae, characterized by a striking contrast between the shiny black coloration of the thorax and anterior abdomen, and a dense tuft of reddish-orange or yellowish hairs on the terminal segments of the abdomen, from which its scientific epithet is derived. The broad head is dominated by large, dark compound eyes providing exceptional visual acuity, a prominent facial beard or mystax of stiff hairs protecting the face from the defensive actions of its prey, and a highly sclerotized, rigid, beak-like proboscis specialized for piercing the hard exoskeleton of insects and injecting neurotoxic saliva containing proteolytic enzymes. The legs are robust, heavily spined, and structurally adapted to firmly grasp struggling prey during flight.

Geographical distribution: Is widely distributed across the temperate regions of southern South America. It is a highly common and historically well-documented species in the grasslands of Argentina (specifically the Pampas region), Uruguay, southern Brazil, and portions of temperate Paraguay.

Habitat: Primarily colonizes open biomes, including temperate grasslands, pampean steppes, shrubby savannas, agricultural fields, and cattle pastures exposed to high levels of direct sunlight. Because of food resource availability, it exhibits a strong synanthropic association with commercial apiaries, as well as crop fields with tall weedy vegetation that can serve as perching sites.

Feeding: Exhibits a dual feeding strategy depending on its developmental stage. Adults are highly voracious, generalist aerial predators that capture flying insects, showing a clear preference for the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), making it a major economic pest in the South American apicultural sector. They also prey on other hymenopterans, coleopterans, and smaller dipterans. Conversely, the larval stages are subterranean ectoparasitoids that feed on the third-instar larvae of scarab beetles (commonly known as white grubs), particularly targeting the species Cyclocephala signaticollis.

Behavior: Is characterized by a sit-and-wait foraging strategy. Individuals perch prominently on the tips of tall weeds, fence posts, or barbed wire, actively scanning the airspace for flying insects. Upon detecting a target, they launch into a fast, loud, maneuvering flight to intercept the prey mid-air, using their heavily armed legs to secure it before returning to a perch to feed. Their flight produces a low-pitched, intimidating buzz that closely mimics social bees, a defensive strategy designed to deter avian predators.

Reproduction: Begins during the summer months following complex aerial courtship rituals. After mating, females select elevated, inert substrates, such as dry herbaceous stems, thin twigs, or wire fences, to deposit their eggs. They produce dense egg masses enveloped in a whitish, foamy secretion that hardens upon contact with air, forming a protective structure known as an ootheca. Upon hatching, the tiny first-instar larvae drop to the ground, burrowing into the soil where they rely on chemical cues to locate their subterranean scarabaeid hosts, feeding on them until they pupate the following spring.

Conservation status: Is currently not evaluated (NE) under the global categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Due to its status as a major agricultural pest affecting South American beekeeping, its populations are stable and extensive, and research is focused on developing ecological monitoring and pest management strategies rather than conservation programs.