Ancient Greenling vs Sand Gnat

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ancient Greenling Sand Gnat
Scientific Name Hemiphlebia mirabilis Culicoides furens
Order Odonata Diptera
Family Hemiphlebiidae Ceratopogonidae
Size 20-25 mm 1-2.5 mm
Habitat Wetlands Wetlands
Diet Predators Blood Feeders
Regions Oceania Coastal Americas from the southeastern United States to Brazil
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Ancient Greenling

The sole surviving member of one of the most ancient damselfly families on Earth.

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Did You Know?

It is considered a living fossil and the most phylogenetically isolated odonate alive.

Sand Gnat

A very small biting midge commonly known as a no-see-um due to its near-invisible size. Despite being barely visible, its bite is intensely painful and causes persistent itching.

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Did You Know?

It is so small it can pass through standard window screens, earning the nickname no-see-um.