European Cherry Fruit Fly vs Black-Tailed Deer Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Cherry Fruit Fly Black-Tailed Deer Fly
Scientific Name Rhagoletis cerasi Chrysops niger
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tephritidae Tabanidae
Size 4-5 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Orchards Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Northeastern United States and southeastern Canada
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Black-Tailed Deer Fly

A small dark deer fly with mostly blackened wings and green iridescent eyes. It is an aggressive daytime biter commonly encountered near wooded wetlands.

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Did You Know?

It is most active during overcast humid days and tends to bite repeatedly if swatted away without being killed.