Apple Maggot Fly vs Tundra Mosquito
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Apple Maggot Fly | Tundra Mosquito |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rhagoletis pomonella | Aedes impiger |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Tephritidae | Culicidae |
| Size | 4-6 mm | 4-6 mm |
| Habitat | Orchards | Tundra & Arctic |
| Diet | Fruit Feeders | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Eastern North America | Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, Svalbard, northern Alaska |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Apple Maggot Fly
A fruit fly pest whose larvae tunnel through apple flesh causing brown trails. It is a textbook example of sympatric speciation by host plant shifting.
Did You Know?
It shifted from native hawthorn to introduced apple trees in under 200 years, creating genetically distinct races.
Tundra Mosquito
A small but abundant Arctic mosquito with dark body and pale leg bands. It is one of the most northerly distributed mosquito species in the world. Larvae inhabit shallow tundra ponds warmed by continuous summer sunlight.
Did You Know?
This mosquito has been found breeding at latitudes above 80 degrees north, among the most northerly insects on Earth.