Stink Bug Tachinid vs Sand Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Stink Bug Tachinid Sand Fly
Scientific Name Trichopoda pennipes Phlebotomus papatasi
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tachinidae Psychodidae
Size 8-12 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Farmland Caves
Diet Parasites Blood Feeders
Regions North America, South America Africa, Asia, Europe
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.

Sand Fly

A tiny, hairy, yellowish fly with large dark eyes and wings held in a V-shape above the body. Females feed on blood and are the primary vectors of leishmaniasis in the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Sand flies are so small they can pass through standard mosquito netting, and they fly in short silent hops rather than sustained buzzing flight.