Tachinids or Tachina flies are a large and diverse family of true flies. True flies are flies that have two sets of wings. One pair to fly and the other pair modified to club-like organs used to balance, called halteres. Tachina flies vary widely in body shape and colors, but all have distinct bristles. They are robust with three segments and large antennae. There are more than 1300 species in North America and over ten thousand in the world.

In the larvae or maggot stage, most tachinid species live as parasites that eventually kill their insects hosts, which mostly include caterpillars and beetles. This is how they obtain their nutrition as an immature insect, by feeding on host tissues. They are either injected into the host by a parent or penetrate from the outside. As adults, they feed on flower and nectar. They will control other pests and pollinate in gardens. These were found in past summer months in northern Arizona.