Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
thick-headed fly
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Fly pollination
Quizzes
wasp. Vespid Wasp (Vespidaea) with antennas and compound eyes drink nectar from a cherry. Hornets largest eusocial wasps, stinging insect in the order Hymenoptera, related to bees. Pollination
Know Your Bugs Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Wasp and bee, insect
What’s the Difference Between a Bee and a Wasp?
Japanese spider crab
10 Animals With Evolutionary Traits Plucked Straight Out of a Nightmare
Malayan Leaf Frog - Megophrys nasuta
9 Animals That Look Like Leaves
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) standing on rock, side view, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
The Fastest Animals on Earth
Big beaver gnawing on limb at river's edge
6 Animal Species that Mate for Life
Discover
Hemp (Cannabis sativa).
9 Mind-Altering Plants
Lead image for "A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps"
A Timeline of the World in 8 Maps
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2019. (Meghan Markle, British royalty)
6 Things You Should Know About Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
Statue of Liberty in front of the skyline of Manhattan, New York City, New York.
Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?
Calendar marking march 15th
22 Questions About Time and Timekeeping Answered
Fly pollination
Fly pollination Thick-headed fly (Conops quadrifasciatus) on a flower.

thick-headed fly

insect
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/animal/thick-headed-fly
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Conopidae, Conops quadrifasciatus
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

thick-headed fly, (family Conopidae), any member of a family of elongated, wasplike flies (order Diptera) that have a head thicker than the thorax. They are brownish in colour and often have yellow markings. Most are between 6 and 25 mm (0.2 and 1 inch) long.

All species have a long, slender proboscis (feeding organ) that in some species is elbow-shaped. Eggs are deposited on or in host insects such as adult wasps, bumblebees, or grasshoppers, on which the larvae feed.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.