Giant Honey Bee vs Congo Floor Maggot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Honey Bee Congo Floor Maggot Fly
Scientific Name Apis dorsata Auchmeromyia senegalensis
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Apidae Calliphoridae
Size 17-20 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Honey Bee

The largest honey bee species, building huge exposed single-comb nests on cliff faces and tall buildings. Colonies can contain up to 100,000 workers.

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Did You Know?

When threatened, the colony performs a mesmerizing shimmering defense wave that ripples across the nest surface to deter predators.

Congo Floor Maggot Fly

A yellowish-brown blow fly whose larvae are unique among Diptera in being temporary ectoparasites that feed on sleeping humans. Larvae live in the dirt floors of huts and emerge at night to feed on the blood of sleeping people, then retreat into the floor. Adults do not bite.

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Did You Know?

It is the only known fly whose larvae feed on human blood like a bedbug, making it a unique case of larval hematophagy.