Red-footed Robber Fly vs Caribou Bot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Red-footed Robber Fly	Caribou Bot Fly
Scientific Name	Dioctria rufipes	Cephenemyia jellisoni
Order	Diptera	Diptera
Family	Asilidae	Oestridae
Size	9-13 mm	12-16 mm
Habitat	Woodlands	Heathland
Diet	Herbivores	Omnivores
Regions	Europe, Western Asia	Alaska, northern Canada, Yukon, Northwest Territories
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Red-footed Robber Fly

A slender, metallic-dark robber fly with conspicuous orange-red legs found in European woodlands. It specializes in ambushing small flies and midges from sunlit perches on leaves.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the earliest robber flies to appear each year, often active from late spring when most other asilids are still developing.

Caribou Bot Fly

A robust, furry fly that parasitizes caribou and deer in North America. Like its Eurasian relative, it deposits larvae near the nostrils of its host. Adults have vestigial mouthparts and survive entirely on stored energy.

💡

Did You Know?

Infected caribou may sneeze violently to expel mature bot fly larvae from their nasal passages before the larvae pupate in the soil.