Tropical Bat Fly vs Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Tropical Bat Fly | Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cyclopodia horsfieldi | Bombus variabilis |
| Order | Diptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Nycteribiidae | Apidae |
| Size | 3-5 mm | 15-22 mm |
| Habitat | Caves | Grasslands |
| Diet | Parasites | Parasites |
| Regions | South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia | Central and Eastern North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
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.
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.
Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee
A rare social parasite bumble bee that takes over colonies of other Bombus species in North America. Queens invade host nests, kill the resident queen, and enslave her workers.
Did You Know?
It produces no workers of its own and depends entirely on the labor of its host species to raise its offspring.