Greater Bee Fly vs Pallidipes Tsetse Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Greater Bee Fly Pallidipes Tsetse Fly
Scientific Name Bombylius canescens Glossina pallidipes
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bombyliidae Glossinidae
Size 10-14 mm 9-14 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia East Africa, from Ethiopia to Mozambique
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Greater Bee Fly

A pale greyish bee fly with a long proboscis and clear wings. It parasitizes ground-nesting bees in arid Mediterranean habitats.

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Did You Know?

It can hover motionless in the air for extended periods while probing flowers with its rigid proboscis.

Pallidipes Tsetse Fly

A large savanna tsetse fly with a distinctive pale brownish coloration, found in woodland habitats of East Africa. It is a major vector of nagana (animal trypanosomiasis) and can also transmit human sleeping sickness. It feeds primarily on wild game and domestic livestock.

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Did You Know?

Traps baited with cow urine and acetone can catch thousands of G. pallidipes per day, forming the basis of community-based control programs.