Horn-faced Marsh Fly vs Thick-headed Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horn-faced Marsh Fly Thick-headed Fly
Scientific Name Dictya umbrarum Physocephala rufipes
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Sciomyzidae Conopidae
Size 4-7 mm 8-14 mm
Habitat Wetlands Underground
Diet Detritivores Parasitoids
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horn-faced Marsh Fly

A small yellowish marsh fly with patterned wings and prominent facial ridges. Larvae feed on decomposing aquatic snails in shallow wetland habitats.

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Did You Know?

Sciomyzid flies are the only family of Diptera in which the larvae are obligate associates of mollusks.

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.