Thick-headed Fly vs Hairy Maggot Blow Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thick-headed Fly Hairy Maggot Blow Fly
Scientific Name Physocephala rufipes Chrysomya rufifacies
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Conopidae Calliphoridae
Size 8-14 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Parasitoids Predators
Regions Europe Australia, Asia, Americas
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.

Hairy Maggot Blow Fly

A blow fly whose larvae have distinctive fleshy projections giving them a hairy appearance. Its predatory larvae feed on other maggot species on carrion.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are facultatively predatory and will cannibalize other maggot species sharing the same carcass.