Banded General Soldier Fly vs Japanese Beetle Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Banded General Soldier Fly Japanese Beetle Tachinid
Scientific Name Stratiomys potamida Istocheta aldrichi
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Stratiomyidae Tachinidae
Size 12-16 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Orchards
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasites
Regions Europe, Asia North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Banded General Soldier Fly

A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aquatic larvae are elongate and can breathe through a posterior spiracle at the water surface.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive in heavily polluted water where most other aquatic insects cannot live.

Japanese Beetle Tachinid

A parasitic fly introduced from Japan to North America specifically for Japanese beetle control. Females lay eggs on the beetle's thorax.

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Did You Know?

White eggs visible on a Japanese beetle's thorax are a telltale sign of parasitism by this fly.