Top 10 Most Wanted Bugs in Your Garden – Tachinid Fly
  • October 2, 2018
  • Posted by: Mike McQueen, Charles Ray, and Kerry Smith
  • in Lawn & Garden
Tachinid Fly
Tachinid Fly

*This is an excerpt from Top 10 Most Wanted Bugs in Your Garden, ANR-2283.

Aliases: feather-legged fly

Wanted For: Attacking unsuspecting caterpillars and beetles.

Family History: Disguised as a hairy housefly, this parasitic insect lays its eggs on caterpillars, grubs, and other insects. When the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel into their victims and eat them.

Sightings: Adults are often seen stealing the nectar and pollen of tansy, milkweed, and Queen Anne’s lace.

Mike McQueen, Regional Extension Agent, Home Grounds, Gardens and Home Pests; Charles Ray, Research Fellow, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University; and Kerry Smith, State Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Auburn University

Reviewed November 2021, Top 10 Most Wanted Bugs in Your Garden, ANR-2283

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