Flesh Fly vs Golden-belted Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flesh Fly Golden-belted Tachinid
Scientific Name Sarcophaga carnaria Ectophasia crassipennis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Sarcophagidae Tachinidae
Size 10-18 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Underground
Diet Carrion Feeders Parasites
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Europe
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.

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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.

Golden-belted Tachinid

A colorful parasitic fly with golden-yellow markings and dark wing patches. Parasitizes shieldbugs and stink bugs. Often seen on umbellifer flowers.

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Did You Know?

The conspicuous wing markings may be involved in mating displays among the otherwise cryptic tachinid flies.