Bee Killer Assassin Bug vs Reindeer Warble Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bee Killer Assassin Bug Reindeer Warble Fly
Scientific Name Apiomerus crassipes Hypoderma tarandi
Order Hemiptera Diptera
Family Reduviidae Oestridae
Size 12-18 mm 13-17 mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions North America Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia, Arctic Canada, Alaska
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bee Killer Assassin Bug

An assassin bug that coats its legs with plant resin to capture bees visiting flowers.

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Did You Know?

It applies sticky resin from plants to its forelegs like a trapping glue.

Reindeer Warble Fly

A stout, furry fly that parasitizes reindeer and caribou. Females dart at reindeer to lay eggs on their legs. Larvae burrow through the skin and migrate through the body, creating warble lumps under the back skin.

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Did You Know?

The buzzing of this fly causes reindeer to panic and stampede, and heavy infestations can reduce a reindeer's body weight by up to 25 percent.