Banded General Soldier Fly vs Sunflower Maggot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Banded General Soldier Fly Sunflower Maggot Fly
Scientific Name Stratiomys potamida Strauzia longipennis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Stratiomyidae Tephritidae
Size 12-16 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Leaf Miners
Regions Europe, Asia North America
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.

Sunflower Maggot Fly

A picture-winged fruit fly whose larvae mine the stems of sunflowers. Adults have attractive amber-patterned wings.

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Did You Know?

Despite being common, it rarely causes economic damage to commercial sunflower crops.