Head to head
Bluebottle vs Hover Fly
Bluebottle
VS Hover Fly
The bluebottle and hover flies are two very different kinds of fly, one a blowfly of rotting meat and the other a family of flower visitors and aphid eaters.
| Bluebottle | Hover Fly | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calliphora vomitoria | Syrphidae (a family of several thousand species) |
| Appearance | A shiny, metallic blue abdomen, a grey-black thorax, and large red eyes | A black-and-yellow warning pattern that closely resembles bees and wasps |
| Adult food | Nectar and fluids from rotting matter | Nectar and pollen from a wide range of flowers |
| Larvae | Maggots that feed on carrion and decaying animal tissue | Many larvae feed voraciously on aphids and other soft-bodied insects |
| Flight | A loud, droning flight, often blundering into windows | Can hang almost perfectly motionless in mid-air for extended periods |
| Role | A recycler of dead animals, and a forensic clock, as maggot size and stage estimate how long ago an animal died | A pollinator and a natural form of pest control in gardens and farms |
| Range | Gardens, farmland, woodland, and buildings across Europe, Asia, and North America | Grassland and forest across nearly every region of the world |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated globally, though common | Least Concern |
Bluebottle vs Hover Fly: common questions
Which fly is used in forensics?
The bluebottle, because the stage and size of its maggots on a body are used to estimate how long ago it died.
Which fly eats aphids as a larva?
Many hover fly larvae, which feed voraciously on aphids and other soft-bodied insects.
Which one mimics a wasp?
The hover fly, which has a black-and-yellow pattern resembling bees and wasps, though it has only two wings.