ExploreInsects

Common Tachinid

Tachina fera

The Common Tachinid is a friendly fly that helps nature by eating pests. They have fuzzy bodies and can be found buzzing around gardens and fields.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The Common Tachinid has a robust, bristly body, often grey or dark with pale stripes on its thorax and a distinct reddish-orange tip on its abdomen. It possesses prominent bristles all over its body, making it look much hairier and spikier than a typical housefly.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderDipteraFamilyTachinidaeGenusTachina
Common Tachinid
furry trait badgesocial trait badgegrassland trait badgeinsectivorous trait badge
Common Tachinid

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Many tachinid flies use a special tube called an ovipositor to lay eggs right inside their host!

Some tachinid flies can even drop their eggs on plants, hoping a host will eat them!

Their eggs are tiny, white, and often look like little grains of rice stuck on a host.

There are over 8,200 different kinds of tachinid flies all around the world!

Special abilities

Ability

Host Hunter

Common Tachinid can lay its eggs directly onto or into other insects, ensuring its young have food.

Ability

Bristle Armor

Common Tachinid has stiff bristles covering its body that might help deter predators or navigate dense foliage.

Ability

Parasitic Power

Common Tachinid has a life cycle that helps control pest populations by parasitizing caterpillars.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
12-25 mm
Size
6-13 mm
Lifespan
14-30 days
Flight Speed
15 km/h
Leg Count
6

Diet & Feeding

Adults sip nectar, but their young are tiny insect warriors that eat other insects from the inside!

Age differences: Adults drink flower nectar, but their larvae live inside and consume caterpillars or other insect larvae.

Primary Foods

  • Nectar
  • Caterpillars
  • Beetle Larvae

Ecological connections

parasitizes

Gypsy Moth

Lymantria dispar

Their larvae develop inside the moth caterpillars.

parasitizes

Cabbage White Butterfly

Pieris rapae

The fly's larvae feed on the butterfly's caterpillars.

parasitizes

Cabbage Moth

Mamestra brassicae

A known host for the tachinid larvae to grow.

eaten by

Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia

Adult flies can become prey for these orb-weaving spiders.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Don't touch flies, but enjoy watching them from a distance!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Common Tachinid's wingspan?

12-25 mm

How big is Common Tachinid?

6-13 mm

How long does Common Tachinid live?

14-30 days

How fast can Common Tachinid fly?

15 km/h

What does Common Tachinid eat?

Adults sip nectar, but their young are tiny insect warriors that eat other insects from the inside!

Where is Common Tachinid usually found?

Grasslands

How many legs does Common Tachinid have?

6

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