Tachina fera - Female (Tachinid Fly)

Tachina fera is a very common and large Tachinid fly. It has a broad black dorsal stripe down the centre of a yellow-orange abdomen. They have bristles on their head, thorax and abdomen, especially towards the tip of the abdomen, where they have long protruding black bristles. Their head is creamy-yellow with longish antennae.

They most often inhabit moist areas such as meadows, canal and river banks, woodland, woodland edges, heath and moorland.

There are two generations of Tachina fera per year. Adults can be seen from the end of April to the end of June and again from the middle of July through to the middle of October. The adults feed on nectar and pollen of flowers, especially Creeping Thistle and Hogweed.

The larvae are parasites of caterpillars and other young insects. The female Tachina fera lays her eggs on the leaves of a plant of the host caterpillars. When the eggs hatch the young larvae enter the body of the caterpillars and eat them from the inside. The caterpillars tend to be moth species such as the Broom Moth, Small Quaker, Common Quaker and Dun-Bar. The larvae pupate in soil and leaf litter, which takes about two weeks, then adult flies will appear.

Common and widespread in England and Wales.