Turk's Tiger Beetle vs Banded General Soldier Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Turk's Tiger Beetle Banded General Soldier Fly
Scientific Name Cephalota turcica Stratiomys potamida
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Cicindelidae Stratiomyidae
Size 12-16 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Ponds & Lakes
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Turkey, Middle East, Central Asia Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Turk's Tiger Beetle

A distinctive tiger beetle found on saline lake shores and mudflats across Turkey and the Middle East. Its pale markings provide camouflage on white salt crusts.

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Did You Know?

It thermoregulates by stilting its body high off the scorching salt flat surface on its long legs.

Banded General Soldier Fly

A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aquatic larvae are elongate and can breathe through a posterior spiracle at the water surface.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive in heavily polluted water where most other aquatic insects cannot live.