Queensland Fruit Fly vs Corn Earworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Queensland Fruit Fly Corn Earworm
Scientific Name Bactrocera tryoni Helicoverpa zea
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Tephritidae Noctuidae
Size 6-8 mm 35-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Farmland
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Australia, Pacific Islands Americas
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Queensland Fruit Fly

Australia's most economically damaging fruit fly with a reddish-brown body. It attacks a wide range of cultivated fruits and vegetables.

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Did You Know?

Interstate quarantine zones in Australia exist largely to prevent its spread to fruit-growing regions.

Corn Earworm

A highly polyphagous moth whose caterpillars feed inside corn ears, tomato fruits, and cotton bolls. It is one of the costliest crop pests in the Americas.

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Did You Know?

Caterpillars are cannibalistic, so usually only one survives per corn ear.