Green Bottle Fly vs Common Yellow Ichneumon

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Bottle Fly Common Yellow Ichneumon
Scientific Name Lucilia sericata Ichneumon stramentor
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Calliphoridae Ichneumonidae
Size 10-14 mm 12-17 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Carrion Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, Oceania Central Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Green Bottle Fly

A brilliant metallic green fly with large red compound eyes. Medically, its sterile larvae are used in maggot debridement therapy to clean necrotic wounds.

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Did You Know?

Medical-grade maggots of this species are approved by the FDA for wound treatment, as they eat only dead tissue and secrete natural antibiotics.

Common Yellow Ichneumon

A bright yellow and black ichneumon wasp found across central Europe. It parasitizes pupae of cutworm and dart moths in agricultural areas.

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Did You Know?

Populations of this species tend to increase following outbreaks of cutworm moths, acting as a natural biological control.