Arctic Mosquito vs Australian March Fly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Arctic Mosquito | Australian March Fly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aedes nigripes | Bibio imitator |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Culicidae | Bibionidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 6-10 mm |
| Habitat | Tundra & Arctic | Woodlands |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Herbivores |
| Regions | Arctic Canada, Alaska, Greenland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia | Australia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Arctic Mosquito
A large, dark-bodied mosquito common across the Arctic tundra. Females emerge in enormous swarms after snowmelt to blood-feed on caribou and other mammals. Adults have dark scales and pale-banded legs.
Did You Know?
Arctic mosquito swarms can be so dense they have been documented driving caribou to stampede across the tundra.
Australian March Fly
A robust black bibionid fly that appears in large numbers during the Australian autumn. It has a hairy body and is a sluggish flyer, often seen resting on vegetation.
Did You Know?
Despite sharing the common name with horse flies in Australia, march flies in the family Bibionidae are completely harmless.