Japanese Horntail vs Australian March Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Horntail Australian March Fly
Scientific Name Eriotremex formosanus Bibio imitator
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Siricidae Bibionidae
Size 20-35 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions East Asia, Taiwan, introduced to southeastern United States Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Japanese Horntail

A large wood wasp with a robust reddish-brown body and dark wings. Native to East Asia, it attacks stressed and recently felled hardwood trees.

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Did You Know?

This species was first detected in North America in 1974 and is one of the few tropical siricid wood wasps to establish invasive populations.

Australian March Fly

A robust black bibionid fly that appears in large numbers during the Australian autumn. It has a hairy body and is a sluggish flyer, often seen resting on vegetation.

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Did You Know?

Despite sharing the common name with horse flies in Australia, march flies in the family Bibionidae are completely harmless.