Villa Bee Fly vs Parasitic Bee Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Villa Bee Fly Parasitic Bee Fly
Scientific Name Villa hottentotta Winthemia rufopicta
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bombyliidae Tachinidae
Size 10-16 mm 6-9 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Parasitoids Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Central Asia North America, Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Villa Bee Fly

A striking bee fly with dark-tipped wings and a stout, densely hairy body. Its larvae are parasitoids of moth caterpillars and pupae in the soil.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite its fearsome appearance with dark smoky wings, it is a harmless nectar feeder that cannot bite or sting.

Parasitic Bee Fly

A medium-sized tachinid fly that parasitizes armyworm caterpillars and other crop pest larvae. It is found across multiple continents.

💡

Did You Know?

Females deposit multiple larvae on a single caterpillar but only one typically survives to maturity.