# Common Tiger Fly

*Coenosia tigrina*

Often called the 'killer fly', this species hunts like a miniature hawk, launching from a leaf perch to ambush flying prey mid-air.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Muscidae › Coenosia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Grasslands, meadows, agricultural fields, pastures, and domestic gardens.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; preys on other small insects, particularly agricultural pests like fungus gnats, leafminers, and midges.
- **Range:** Europe, North America, Northern Asia
- **Size:** 5 to 7 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 2 to 4 weeks as an adult
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread chemical pesticide use in agricultural and residential areas.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. They do not bite or sting people, and act as highly beneficial natural pest control in gardens. If one lands on you, simply enjoy its presence or gently brush it away; no medical action is needed.

## About

Coenosia tigrina is a species of fly in the family Muscidae. It is found in the Palearctic ....

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/8b447c6e-d75a-439a-a3db-14916ad7c178
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/133769
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenosia tigrina
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/242069880/medium.jpg (Christian Back, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.