Copper-Bottom Blow Fly vs Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Copper-Bottom Blow Fly Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid
Scientific Name Lucilia cuprina Jurinia frontalis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Calliphoridae Tachinidae
Size 9-13 mm 14-18 mm
Habitat Farmland Mountains
Diet Carrion Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Australia, South Africa, Asia Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Copper-Bottom Blow Fly

A metallic green-gold blow fly that is the most destructive cause of sheep blowfly strike in Australia and South Africa. Females lay eggs in soiled wool, and larvae burrow into the skin, causing severe tissue destruction. It has developed resistance to multiple insecticides used for livestock protection.

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Did You Know?

Australia loses over 170 million dollars annually to sheep blowfly strike caused by this species.

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.