Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid vs Thick-headed Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid Thick-headed Fly
Scientific Name Encarsia formosa Physocephala rufipes
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Eulophidae Conopidae
Size 0.5-0.8 mm 8-14 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Parasitoids Parasitoids
Regions Worldwide Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Greenhouse Whitefly Parasitoid

The most widely used parasitoid wasp in greenhouse biological control worldwide. Parasitized whitefly nymphs turn black, making monitoring easy.

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Did You Know?

It reproduces entirely by parthenogenesis since males are extremely rare in commercial populations.

Thick-headed Fly

A wasp-mimicking fly that parasitizes bumblebees by injecting eggs into them mid-flight.

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Did You Know?

Infected bumblebees bury themselves in soil where the fly larva pupates.