Tropical Bat Fly vs Japanese Beetle Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tropical Bat Fly Japanese Beetle Tachinid
Scientific Name Cyclopodia horsfieldi Istocheta aldrichi
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Nycteribiidae Tachinidae
Size 3-5 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Caves Orchards
Diet Parasites Parasites
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia North America, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tropical Bat Fly

A bizarre wingless bat fly with extremely long spider-like legs and a flattened body. It is a specialist parasite of fruit bats in tropical Asia.

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Did You Know?

Its legs are so long relative to its body that it can crawl rapidly through bat fur while maintaining grip during flight.

Japanese Beetle Tachinid

A parasitic fly introduced from Japan to North America specifically for Japanese beetle control. Females lay eggs on the beetle's thorax.

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Did You Know?

White eggs visible on a Japanese beetle's thorax are a telltale sign of parasitism by this fly.