Bristly Tachinid vs Macropis Cuckoo Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bristly Tachinid Macropis Cuckoo Bee
Scientific Name Epalpus signifer Epeoloides coecutiens
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Tachinidae Melittidae
Size 6-10 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Parasites Parasites
Regions North America Europe, Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Bristly Tachinid

A bristly gray parasitic fly found across North America. It parasitizes a wide range of caterpillars including armyworms and cutworms.

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Did You Know?

Females scatter tiny eggs on foliage, which are then accidentally swallowed by feeding caterpillars.

Macropis Cuckoo Bee

A rare cleptoparasitic bee that targets nests of Macropis oil-collecting bees. It was once thought extinct in North America before being rediscovered in Nova Scotia in 2002.

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Did You Know?

Its dramatic rediscovery in North America after decades of presumed extinction made international conservation news.