Terfly

Terfly – active houseflies that don’t fly away

Are you looking for a feed insect that’s bigger than a fruit fly, moves around actively, and is still easy to feed? Then the Terfly is an interesting choice.

Terflys are also known as stub-winged flies. They are a specially bred, flightless variety of the Muscidae family. With a body length of about 5–8 mm, they fill a practical gap between small fruit flies and larger feed flies.

Jumping spiders and mantises, in particular, react strongly to the Terflys’ movements. At the same time, the flies cannot simply fly away. This makes them easy to handle while still allowing for active hunting.

Prey for jumping spiders and mantises

Many jumping spiders and mantises rely heavily on movement when hunting. A prey item that actively moves through the terrarium is therefore quickly detected.

This is exactly where the Terfly really shines.

It moves actively across branches, plants, and other surfaces. This allows your animals to observe, track, and ultimately catch their prey.

This way, you’re not only providing food, but also a natural activity during feeding time.

At 5–8 mm, this is a practical feed size

Measuring about 5–8 mm in body length, the Terfly is significantly larger than many small fruit flies. At the same time, it remains compact enough for numerous smaller insectivores.

This makes it particularly suitable for animals that have outgrown Drosophila but are not yet ready for larger feed insects.

In addition to jumping spiders and mantises, Terflys may therefore also be of interest for suitable reptiles, amphibians, and other insect-eating terrarium animals.

Unable to fly and therefore easy to handle

A regular housefly can quickly disappear when the container is opened. With the Terfly, it’s a different story.

As a result of selective breeding, their ability to fly is severely limited or nonexistent. This makes the animals easier to control.

This makes it easier for you to both remove the insects and feed them in a targeted manner. This is a significant advantage, especially for small terrariums and rearing containers.

An active breeding approach instead of simply providing a portion of feed flies

You can’t just buy our Terfly as individual flies. We ship them in an active breeding substrate.

There are already growing maggots inside. That’s why more Terflys may gradually appear even after delivery.

This gives you a continuous supply from which you can harvest feed animals over an extended period of time.

New flies keep emerging from the breeding substrate

After shipping, a Terfly culture does not necessarily have to be full of fully grown flies right away. A significant portion of the culture is still in the breeding substrate.

There, the existing maggots continue to develop. New flies then gradually emerge.

As a result, a well-managed Terfly system will provide you with a steady supply of fresh feed animals over an extended period of time. At the same time, you can take out only as many animals as you need at any given time.

Particularly useful as the next step after Drosophila

When raising small terrarium animals, feeding often begins with fruit flies. Eventually, however, they become too small.

The Terfly could then be a good next size up for food.

Measuring 5–8 mm, it has significantly more body mass yet remains a comparatively small feed insect. This allows you to gradually adjust the prey size as your animals grow.

Impaired vision makes hunting easier

In addition to being unable to fly, Terflys have limited vision. Their reddish eyes are particularly striking.

The animals continue to move around actively, but they cannot simply fly away from their predators. As a result, they remain easy prey for jumping spiders, mantises, and other hunters.

It is precisely this combination that makes the Terfly an attractive live feed: It moves enough to trigger a strong prey response, yet remains easy to control.

Advantages at a glance

• A flightless feed fly
• Also known as the stub-winged fly
• Body length approximately 5–8 mm
• Active movements create a strong hunting stimulus
• Particularly suitable for jumping spiders
• Ideal for mantises
• Also for suitable reptiles and amphibians
• Practical food size based on Drosophila
• Easy to Use
• Low risk that the flies will fly away
• Impaired vision
• Delivery in active growing medium
• Already contains developing maggots
• Little by little, more feed flies are hatching

The Right Accessories for Your Live Feed Animals

Repto Cricket Shaker – makes it easier for you to measure out and feed the Terflys precisely without having to pick up the individual flies.

BraPlast container with gauze lid – suitable for temporarily housing hatched Terflys while providing the necessary ventilation.

Magnetic feeders —allow you to provide hatched flies with a controlled source of liquid or food.

Flower pollen —can be used to provide additional nutrition for hatched feed flies.

Arcadia EarthPro RevitaliseD3 – enriches Terflys with vitamins and minerals before feeding, making it particularly suitable for the targeted supplementation of feed insects.

“Big” Fruit Fly —offers you a smaller live food alternative if the 5–8 mm Terflys are still too large for your young animals.

Conclusion

The Terfly is particularly interesting if you’re looking for an active feed fly that’s also easy to handle. With a body length of about 5–8 mm, it’s ideal for jumping spiders, mantises, and many other smaller insectivores.

The fact that they cannot fly makes feeding them much easier. Nevertheless, the animals move around actively, thereby triggering a natural hunting instinct.

Another particularly convenient feature is that they’re delivered in active breeding substrate. This already contains developing maggots, so more Terflys can hatch over time. This means you don’t just get the flies that are currently visible, but an ongoing supply for a continuous source of food.