Bluebottle Fly vs Hairy Wood Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bluebottle Fly Hairy Wood Ant
Scientific Name Calliphora vicina Formica lugubris
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Calliphoridae Formicidae
Size 10-12 mm 4-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Carrion Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, North America Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bluebottle Fly

A common metallic blue blowfly found in urban areas worldwide. Breeds in dead pigeons, rodents and meat. An important species in forensic entomology for estimating time of death.

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Did You Know?

One of the most important forensic indicator species, helping police estimate time of death from larval development stage.

Hairy Wood Ant

A large mound-building ant of upland coniferous forests with noticeably hairy body surfaces. It forms polydomous colonies with multiple interconnected nests.

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Did You Know?

A supercolony in the Swiss Jura mountains contained over 1,200 interconnected nests spanning 70 hectares.