thick-headed fly
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.
Citation Information
Article Title:
thick-headed fly
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
28 March 2011
Access Date:
March 14, 2025