Olive Fruit Fly vs Brevipalpis Tsetse Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Olive Fruit Fly Brevipalpis Tsetse Fly
Scientific Name Bactrocera oleae Glossina brevipalpis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tephritidae Glossinidae
Size 4-5 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Fruit Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Mediterranean, Middle East, California East Africa (Kenya coast, Tanzania, Uganda)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Olive Fruit Fly

A small fly that exclusively attacks olive fruits, causing billions in crop losses. Larvae tunnel through olive flesh, ruining fruit quality.

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Did You Know?

It is the single most damaging pest of olives and has plagued growers since ancient Roman times.

Brevipalpis Tsetse Fly

The largest species of tsetse fly, with a robust body and short palps from which its name derives. It inhabits thicket and coastal bush habitats.

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Did You Know?

Despite its large size, it is a relatively weak vector of trypanosomiasis compared to other tsetse species.