Queensland Fruit Fly vs Mountain Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Queensland Fruit Fly	Mountain Robber Fly
Scientific Name	Bactrocera tryoni	Machimus rusticus
Order	Diptera	Diptera
Family	Tephritidae	Asilidae
Size	6-8 mm	12-18 mm body length
Habitat	Orchards	Meadows
Diet	Fruit Feeders	Predators
Regions	Australia, Pacific Islands	Europe, Mediterranean mountains
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

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

A powerful aerial predator found in dry mountain meadows and rocky slopes. It catches other insects in flight with its spiny legs.

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It injects paralytic saliva into prey and digests them externally before consuming the liquefied contents.