Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid vs Hag Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid Hag Moth
Scientific Name Jurinia frontalis Phobetron pithecium
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Tachinidae Limacodidae
Size 14-18 mm 20-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Mountains Orchards
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid

A large, furry tachinid fly that closely mimics a bumblebee with its dense covering of orange and black hairs. It is one of the hairiest of all tachinid flies.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most tachinids that parasitize caterpillars, this species targets wood-boring beetle larvae.

Hag Moth

A furry brown moth whose larva is called the monkey slug due to its bizarre shape with curly fleshy lateral projections. The caterpillar looks nothing like a typical lepidopteran larva.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar's curly brown appendages are thought to mimic a shed tarantula skin to deter predators.