Pacific Velvet Ant vs European Thick-headed Fly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Pacific Velvet Ant | European Thick-headed Fly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dasymutilla sackenii | Myopa buccata |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Diptera |
| Family | Mutillidae | Conopidae |
| Size | 10-16 mm | 6-10 mm |
| Habitat | Beaches & Coastal | Woodlands |
| Diet | Parasitoids | Parasitoids |
| Regions | Western North America | Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Pacific Velvet Ant
A medium-sized velvet ant with orange and black coloring found along the Pacific coast of North America. It parasitizes ground-nesting bees and wasps.
Did You Know?
Males are winged and look so different from the wingless females that they were originally described as separate species.
European Thick-headed Fly
A small reddish-brown conopid fly with a distinctively swollen face and downward-curving proboscis. It is commonly found basking on sunny tree trunks and fences in spring.
Did You Know?
It times its emergence with the spring flight period of its Andrena bee hosts, waiting on sunny surfaces to ambush them.