False Stable Fly vs Banded-wing Thrips

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute False Stable Fly Banded-wing Thrips
Scientific Name Muscina stabulans Aeolothrips fasciatus
Order Diptera Thysanoptera
Family Muscidae Aeolothripidae
Size 7-10 mm 1.5-2.0 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe, North America, Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Banded-wing Thrips

A predatory thrips with dark-banded wings commonly found on crop plants. It preys on pest thrips, mites, and small insects.

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Did You Know?

Banded-wing thrips are among the most important natural enemies of pest thrips in North American alfalfa fields.