Thick-headed Fly vs Giant Orange Ichneumon

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thick-headed Fly Giant Orange Ichneumon
Scientific Name Physocephala rufipes Netelia producta
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Conopidae Ichneumonidae
Size 8-14 mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Parasitoids Parasitoids
Regions Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Thick-headed Fly

A wasp-mimicking fly that parasitizes bumblebees by injecting eggs into them mid-flight.

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Did You Know?

Infected bumblebees bury themselves in soil where the fly larva pupates.

Giant Orange Ichneumon

A large, uniformly orange ichneumon wasp commonly attracted to lights. It parasitizes caterpillars of owlet moths and geometrid moths.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most frequently encountered ichneumon wasps at porch lights across North America during summer.