Best time to see: May to end Sep
Key facts
Tachinid flies are parasitoids, whose young develop inside, and kill, other insects, such as caterpillars
Britain has some 270 species, many dull-coloured or resembling houseflies
Common and widespread across Britain and Ireland
Recognition
Large and bristly fly with an orange abdomen with a black stripe down the centre; 10–14mm long
found in meadows and woodland margins
Often seen feeding or basking on umbellifers or waterside plants, or on the ground searching for hosts for its eggs
Lifecycle
Females seek out the nests of other insects – mainly moths and butterflies – and lay their eggs nearby
After hatching the young eat and kill their hosts, then emerge to repeat the cycle
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© Tony Gunton