Red-tailed Flesh Fly vs Mocker Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Red-tailed Flesh Fly Mocker Swallowtail
Scientific Name Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis Papilio dardanus
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Sarcophagidae Papilionidae
Size 10-14 mm 80-105 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Dung Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Worldwide Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Red-tailed Flesh Fly

A large gray flesh fly with a distinctive red-tipped abdomen. It deposits live larvae on meat, wounds, and feces.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.

Mocker Swallowtail

A remarkable swallowtail where females mimic several different toxic butterfly species while males look completely different. Males are yellow and black with tails.

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Did You Know?

Females can occur in over a dozen different color forms, each mimicking a different toxic butterfly species.