Chrysomelid Leaf Beetle vs False Stable Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Chrysomelid Leaf Beetle False Stable Fly
Scientific Name Chrysolina staphylaea Muscina stabulans
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Chrysomelidae Muscidae
Size 5-7 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Western Europe Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Chrysomelid Leaf Beetle

A small, strongly convex beetle with dark reddish-brown to almost black coloration and a smooth, shiny surface. It is one of the commonest Chrysolina species in Western Europe.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the first beetles to become active in late winter, sometimes emerging in February when temperatures are still quite cold.

False Stable Fly

A robust fly resembling a large house fly with reddish-yellow patches at the wing base. Larvae can be facultative predators of other fly larvae.

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Did You Know?

Its predatory larvae sometimes consume house fly larvae, making it an accidental biocontrol agent.