Golden-belted Tachinid vs Nose Bot Fly of Horses

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden-belted Tachinid Nose Bot Fly of Horses
Scientific Name Ectophasia crassipennis Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tachinidae Oestridae
Size 6-10 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Parasites Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Nose Bot Fly of Horses

A dark-bodied bot fly that deposits reddish-black eggs around the lips of horses. Larvae penetrate the lip mucosa and migrate to the stomach, then before pupation they reattach to the rectal mucosa, causing irritation and inflammation. The name refers to the reddish rectal inflammation it causes.

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Did You Know?

Before pupation, larvae reattach to the horse's rectum, causing such irritation that affected horses may rub their tails raw.