Narrow-winged Bee Fly vs Pallidipes Tsetse Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Narrow-winged Bee Fly Pallidipes Tsetse Fly
Scientific Name Systoechus vulgaris Glossina pallidipes
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bombyliidae Glossinidae
Size 7-10 mm 9-14 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa East Africa, from Ethiopia to Mozambique
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Narrow-winged Bee Fly

A small, hairy bee fly with a rounded body and a short proboscis compared to Bombylius species. It hovers at flowers in arid habitats, frequently visiting low-growing composites.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are important natural enemies of grasshoppers, entering and consuming their egg pods in the soil.

Pallidipes Tsetse Fly

A large savanna tsetse fly with a distinctive pale brownish coloration, found in woodland habitats of East Africa. It is a major vector of nagana (animal trypanosomiasis) and can also transmit human sleeping sickness. It feeds primarily on wild game and domestic livestock.

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Did You Know?

Traps baited with cow urine and acetone can catch thousands of G. pallidipes per day, forming the basis of community-based control programs.