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6-8 mm long, 20-25 mm wingspan. Faded brown tint to anterior of wing, and distinctive outlined blotches throughout. Hair with blonde tint. Characteristics shared with other Bombylius species include a slender first antennal segment, long scattered bristly hairs, holoptic males, conspicuously bristled hind femora, and a distinct intercalary vein (Hull 1973).

Very little species-specific information available. The general bombyliid life cycle is described in Marshall (2006). Females coat eggs with a sticky substance in order to gather a protective layer of soil when they are dropped into burrows of potential hosts. First instar larvae actively penetrate host nests, then molt into sedentary ectoparasitoids, a phenomenon known as hypermetamorphosis. Pupae are equipped with rigid ornamentation to assist escape from the burrow. Adults resemble bees as a deterrent against predators, and imitate them behaviourally and functionally by feeding on nectar and spreading pollen.