Flesh Fly vs Forest Caterpillar Hunter
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Flesh Fly | Forest Caterpillar Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sarcophaga carnaria | Calosoma sycophanta |
| Order | Diptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Sarcophagidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 10-18 mm | 25-35 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Carrion Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | Europe, Asia, North America | Europe, North Africa; introduced to North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Flesh Fly
A large gray fly with three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a checkered abdomen. Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.
Did You Know?
Flesh flies are larviparous, depositing live first-instar maggots directly onto food sources, giving their offspring a developmental head start over egg-laying competitors.
Forest Caterpillar Hunter
A large, brilliant metallic green and gold ground beetle that climbs trees to hunt caterpillars. It was introduced to North America for gypsy moth biocontrol.
Did You Know?
A single beetle can consume over 300 caterpillars during its larval and adult life.