Sunflower Maggot Fly vs Deer Ked
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Sunflower Maggot Fly | Deer Ked |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Strauzia longipennis | Lipoptena cervi |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Tephritidae | Hippoboscidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 5-7 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Leaf Miners | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Europe, Asia, introduced to North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Sunflower Maggot Fly
A picture-winged fruit fly whose larvae mine the stems of sunflowers. Adults have attractive amber-patterned wings.
Did You Know?
Despite being common, it rarely causes economic damage to commercial sunflower crops.
Deer Ked
A flattened, reddish-brown blood-sucking fly that sheds its wings upon finding a deer host. It clings tenaciously to the hair with strong claws and feeds on blood throughout its life.
Did You Know?
After landing on a host, it breaks off its own wings permanently, spending the rest of its life as a wingless ectoparasite.