Dark-edged Bee-fly vs Stable Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dark-edged Bee-fly Stable Fly
Scientific Name Bombylius major discolor Stomoxys calcitrans
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bombyliidae Muscidae
Size 8-12mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Asia Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dark-edged Bee-fly

A subspecies of the bee-fly with slightly different wing patterning found in eastern populations.

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Did You Know?

Hovers at spring flowers with its long rigid proboscis extended, looking remarkably like a furry hummingbird.

Stable Fly

A blood-feeding fly that closely resembles the house fly but has a prominent piercing proboscis. It is a painful biter of livestock and humans.

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Did You Know?

Unlike house flies, both males and females are blood feeders and deliver a painful bite.