Noon Fly vs African Cotton Stainer
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Noon Fly | African Cotton Stainer |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mesembrina meridiana | Dysdercus fasciatus |
| Order | Diptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Muscidae | Pyrrhocoridae |
| Size | 10-13mm | 13-18 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Farmland |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Seed Feeders |
| Regions | Europe | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Noon Fly
A large stocky black fly with bright orange wing bases. It basks in sunshine on walls and fences at midday.
Did You Know?
Named for its habit of basking in the midday sun, often sitting motionless on warm surfaces around noon.
African Cotton Stainer
A vividly red and black pyrrhocorid bug that is a significant pest of cotton across tropical Africa. It aggregates in large numbers on cotton plants where it feeds on developing bolls. The bold coloration signals its unpalatability to birds.
Did You Know?
Large mating aggregations of hundreds of individuals form dense red clusters on cotton plants, making them highly conspicuous to farmers.