Cinnamon Tachinid vs European Cherry Fruit Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cinnamon Tachinid European Cherry Fruit Fly
Scientific Name Adejeania vexatrix Rhagoletis cerasi
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tachinidae Tephritidae
Size 12-16 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Grasslands Orchards
Diet Parasitoids Omnivores
Regions North America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cinnamon Tachinid

A large, robust tachinid fly with reddish-brown coloring and prominent bristles. It is a common parasitoid of armyworm caterpillars in western North American grasslands.

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Did You Know?

It is considered one of the most important natural enemies of armyworm outbreaks in North American rangelands.

European Cherry Fruit Fly

A small black fly with distinctive wing banding that infests sweet and sour cherries. Larvae feed inside cherries, causing them to rot and drop.

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Did You Know?

It is a textbook example of sympatric speciation, with host races on sweet and sour cherries.