Large Square-headed Wasp vs Flesh Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Square-headed Wasp Flesh Fly
Scientific Name Ectemnius cephalotes Sarcophaga carnaria
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Crabronidae Sarcophagidae
Size 12-18 mm 10-18 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Large Square-headed Wasp

A large solitary wasp that nests in dead wood and provisions its nest with captured flies. Has a distinctively large, square-shaped head. Common in gardens and woodland.

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Did You Know?

Nests in old beetle holes in dead wood, stocking each cell with paralyzed flies for its developing larvae.

Flesh Fly

A large gray fly with three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a checkered abdomen. Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.

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Did You Know?

Flesh flies are larviparous, depositing live first-instar maggots directly onto food sources, giving their offspring a developmental head start over egg-laying competitors.