Rugose Carrion Beetle vs Secondary Screwworm Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rugose Carrion Beetle Secondary Screwworm Fly
Scientific Name Thanatophilus rugosus Cochliomyia macellaria
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Silphidae Calliphoridae
Size 9-12 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Carrion Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Northern Asia, North America North America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rugose Carrion Beetle

A small, dark silphid with heavily textured, rugose wing cases. It frequents sun-exposed carrion in open landscapes.

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Did You Know?

Females lay eggs on carcasses already infested with fly larvae, and their own larvae then feed on the maggots.

Secondary Screwworm Fly

A blow fly that breeds in carrion and occasionally infests wounds in livestock. It is widely used in forensic studies in the Americas.

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Did You Know?

Unlike the primary screwworm, it only feeds on dead tissue rather than living flesh.