Halictid Bee Strepsipteran vs Old World Screwworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Halictid Bee Strepsipteran Old World Screwworm
Scientific Name Halictophagus silwoodensis Chrysomya bezziana
Order Strepsiptera Diptera
Family Halictophagidae Calliphoridae
Size 1.0-1.5 mm (males) 8-11 mm
Habitat Meadows Forests
Diet Parasites Parasites
Regions Europe Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Halictid Bee Strepsipteran

A tiny strepsipteran parasite of leafhoppers described from Silwood Park in England. Males have the characteristic twisted hindwings of the order.

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Did You Know?

Strepsiptera means twisted wing, referring to the way the hindwings twist during flight like helicopter blades.

Old World Screwworm

An obligate wound parasite of mammals found across Africa and Asia. Larvae invade wounds and feed on living tissue causing severe myiasis.

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Did You Know?

Unlike the New World screwworm, no sterile insect program has yet successfully eradicated this species.