Conops Fly vs Tundra Blow Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Conops Fly Tundra Blow Fly
Scientific Name Conops flavipes Protophormia terraenovae
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Conopidae Calliphoridae
Size 8-12mm 7-11 mm
Habitat Underground Tundra & Arctic
Diet Parasitoids Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe Arctic Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Scandinavia, northern Russia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Conops Fly

A wasp-mimicking fly with yellow legs and a narrow waist. Females parasitize adult bumblebees.

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Did You Know?

Chases bumblebees in flight and forcefully deposits an egg inside the bee's abdomen during a brief mid-air grapple.

Tundra Blow Fly

A metallic dark blue blow fly common across Arctic and subarctic regions. It is one of the first flies to become active in spring. Adults are attracted to carrion and can detect dead animals from great distances.

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Did You Know?

This fly is so cold-tolerant that it is used in forensic entomology to determine time of death in cold climates where other blow flies cannot survive.