Uzi fly

The Uzi fly (Exorista sorbillans) is a species of bristly fly in the family Tachinidae that is a parasitoid of caterpillars and is a problem for silkworm rearing in tropical regions of South and Southeast Asia.[1]

The species found in India, Exorista bombycis is sometimes synonmyised with this species, but is distinct from specimens obtained from the type locality, the Canary Islands.[2]

Uzi flies are parasitic on lepidoptera larvae and can therefore be beneficial but are a problem for silkworm rearers. The life span of adult males is about 5–15 days, adult females is about 20–25 days and alternate hosts can live 55 days. Its flight range is about 4 km. It gets attracted to rearing room due to kairomones, and it can locate host in 30 seconds. Uzi flies lay their eggs on the silkworm caterpillar mainly in the intersegmental region. Caterpillars in the fourth and fifth instar are preferred. Its egg period is 2–3 days. Its larval period is 8 days, and pupal period is about 10–14 days.

The content of a silk cocoon infected with uji fly: a dead silkworm and two dead imago of uji fly