Two-spotted Stink Bug vs Caterpillar Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-spotted Stink Bug Caterpillar Tachinid
Scientific Name Perillus bioculatus Lydella thompsoni
Order Hemiptera Diptera
Family Pentatomidae Tachinidae
Size 9-12 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Predators Parasites
Regions North America Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Two-spotted Stink Bug

A colorful predatory stink bug with bold red or orange and black markings. It is particularly valued for its appetite for Colorado potato beetle larvae. The color pattern is variable but always includes two dark spots on the pronotum.

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Did You Know?

It can consume up to 100 Colorado potato beetle eggs per day, making it one of the most effective natural predators of this major crop pest.

Caterpillar Tachinid

A small gray parasitic fly that attacks European corn borer larvae. It was introduced to North America as a biological control agent.

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Did You Know?

Females deposit live larvae rather than eggs directly onto the host caterpillar.