Stink Bug Tachinid vs Big-headed Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Stink Bug Tachinid Big-headed Fly
Scientific Name Trichopoda pennipes Pipunculus campestris
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tachinidae Pipunculidae
Size 8-12 mm 3-6 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Parasites Herbivores
Regions North America, South America Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Stink Bug Tachinid

A distinctive parasitic fly with a flattened orange abdomen and feathery legs. It attacks stink bugs and squash bugs in agricultural settings.

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Did You Know?

Its fringed hind legs are thought to mimic bee pollen baskets, confusing predators.

Big-headed Fly

A small fly with an enormously enlarged, almost entirely eye-covered spherical head. It hovers in vegetation searching for leafhopper hosts in which to parasitize.

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Did You Know?

Its enormous eyes give it near-360-degree vision, allowing it to spot leafhoppers from any angle while hovering.