Soldier Fly vs Flesh Fly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Soldier Fly | Flesh Fly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Odontomyia tigrina | Sarcophaga carnaria |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Stratiomyidae | Sarcophagidae |
| Size | 8-12 mm | 10-18 mm |
| Habitat | Ponds & Lakes | Woodlands |
| Diet | Pollen Feeders | Carrion Feeders |
| Regions | Europe | Europe, Asia, North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Soldier Fly
A brightly colored soldier fly with aquatic larvae that filter-feed in ponds.
Did You Know?
Larvae float at the surface and breathe through a rosette of hydrophobic tail hairs.
Flesh Fly
A large gray fly with three black longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a checkered abdomen. Unlike most flies, females give birth to live larvae rather than laying eggs.
Did You Know?
Flesh flies are larviparous, depositing live first-instar maggots directly onto food sources, giving their offspring a developmental head start over egg-laying competitors.