Yellow Dance Fly vs Parasitic Bee Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow Dance Fly Parasitic Bee Fly
Scientific Name Empis stercorea Winthemia rufopicta
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Empididae Tachinidae
Size 6-8 mm 6-9 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Farmland
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe North America, Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Yellow Dance Fly

A medium-sized dance fly with a yellowish body commonly found on spring flowers. Males present prey items as mating gifts. An important pollinator of spring flowers.

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Did You Know?

Important early-season pollinators that visit spring flowers while also hunting small insects on them.

Parasitic Bee Fly

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

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Did You Know?

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