Antarctic Midge vs Giant Western Crane Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Antarctic Midge	Giant Western Crane Fly
Scientific Name	Belgica antarctica	Holorusia hespera
Order	Diptera	Diptera
Family	Chironomidae	Tipulidae
Size	2-6 mm	35-45 mm body length
Habitat	Tundra & Arctic	Forests
Diet	Detritivores	Detritivores
Regions	Antarctica	Western North America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Antarctic Midge

The only insect endemic to Antarctica and the continents largest purely terrestrial animal at 2-6 mm. Wingless, freeze-tolerant, and can survive temperatures down to -15C.

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Did You Know?

This midge has the smallest known insect genome at 99 million base pairs — 97% smaller than a mosquito, likely an adaptation to survive extreme cold with minimal energy.

Giant Western Crane Fly

North America's largest crane fly with a wingspan approaching 80 mm. It inhabits mossy stream banks in western mountain forests.

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Did You Know?

It is the largest fly in North America and one of the largest true flies in the world.