Secondary Screwworm Fly vs African Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Secondary Screwworm Fly African Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle
Scientific Name Cochliomyia macellaria Oryctes monoceros
Order Diptera Coleoptera
Family Calliphoridae Scarabaeidae
Size 8-12 mm 30-50 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Carrion Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America, South America East Africa (Kenya coast, Tanzania coast, Uganda)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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

African Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle

A robust, dark chestnut-brown beetle with a single curved horn on the male's head. It is a significant pest of coconut and oil palm plantations along the East African coast.

💡

Did You Know?

Adults are primarily active at night and are strongly attracted to lights, which is used as a basis for light-trap monitoring programs.