Bee-Like Tachinid Fly - (Hystricia abrupta)

The Bee-Like Tachinid Fly looks like an unsightly, hairy mess, but this insect is very useful in controlling nuisance insects.

Staff Writer (10/20/2014): Bee-Like Tachinid Fly larvae are lethal predators to insects people may find problematic. Most of these fly larvae feed on the caterpillars of pesky moth species. Because of their diet, some Tachinid Flies have been deliberately imported from other areas to control destructive moth populations.

The female Bee-Like Tachinid Fly lays a couple of fertilized eggs on or near a moth caterpillar. The caterpillar may inadvertently eat the eggs as it chews on the leaf the eggs were on. A larva will feed on its internal parts until the caterpillar dies. The fly larva will then drop to the ground and dig a burrow where it will pupate and develop into a flying adult.

This particular species of Tachinid Fly can be found on flowers or marshy areas during the summer and autumn. Adults drink nectar. Color variations exist with individuals. Some are more yellow, or orange, while others are more red.

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Details of the:
Bee-Like Tachinid Fly

Category: Fly or Mosquito
Common name: Bee-Like Tachinid Fly
Scientific Name: Hystricia abrupta

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Diptera

Family: Tachinidiae

Genus: Hystricia

Species: abrupta

Size (Adult, Length): 10mm to 13mm (0.39in to 0.51in)

Identifying Colors: black, red, orange, yellow

Additional Descriptors: hairy, flying, spiky

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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