Tapestry Moth vs Flesh Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tapestry Moth Flesh Fly
Scientific Name Trichophaga tapetzella Sarcophaga carnaria
Order Lepidoptera Diptera
Family Tineidae Sarcophagidae
Size 14-22 mm wingspan 10-18 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Gall Makers Carrion Feeders
Regions Cosmopolitan Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tapestry Moth

A distinctive clothes moth with whitish forewings and a dark brownish-black base. It creates extensive silk galleries through materials rather than building portable cases.

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Did You Know?

It was historically the most destructive moth in horse stables, riddling horsehair padding and blankets.

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.

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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.