Black Burying Beetle vs Flesh Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Burying Beetle Flesh Fly
Scientific Name Nicrophorus humator Sarcophaga carnaria
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Silphidae Sarcophagidae
Size 18-26mm 10-18 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Woodlands
Diet Carrion Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Burying Beetle

A large all-black burying beetle with orange-tipped antennae. It buries animal carcasses for its larvae.

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Did You Know?

One of the largest burying beetles in Europe and can inter a mouse-sized carcass in just a few hours.

Flesh Fly

A large gray fly with three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a checkered abdomen. Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.

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Did You Know?

Flesh flies are larviparous, depositing live first-instar maggots directly onto food sources, giving their offspring a developmental head start over egg-laying competitors.