Tachinid Fly

Description:

Tachinid flies are approximately 5/8 inch in length. The head is tan with a sprinkling of black bristles. The eyes are large and dark red. The antennae are reddish with a single coarse, black bristle pointing upward. The thorax is tan with some dark gray marks and black bristles. The abdomen is a shiny blue-black color also with numerous black bristles. The wings are a pale orange at the base with the remainder being clear. The legs are black and hairy, and the tarsii are tan colored.

Habitat:

In the larval stage Tachinids are parasitoids of other insects, but the most common hosts are caterpillars.