Australian March Fly vs Hornet Strepsipteran
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Australian March Fly | Hornet Strepsipteran |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bibio imitator | Xenos myrapetrus |
| Order | Diptera | Strepsiptera |
| Family | Bibionidae | Xenidae |
| Size | 6-10 mm | 4.0-6.0 mm (males) |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Herbivores | Parasites |
| Regions | Australia | Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
Australian March Fly
A robust black bibionid fly that appears in large numbers during the Australian autumn. It has a hairy body and is a sluggish flyer, often seen resting on vegetation.
Did You Know?
Despite sharing the common name with horse flies in Australia, march flies in the family Bibionidae are completely harmless.
Hornet Strepsipteran
A large strepsipteran parasite of hornets and social wasps in tropical Africa. Males have distinctive fan-shaped hindwings.
Did You Know?
Male strepsipterans have large eyes with only about 50 facets each, giving them the coarsest visual resolution of any insect.