Australian March Fly vs Mosquito

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Australian March Fly Mosquito
Scientific Name Bibio imitator Aedes aegypti
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Bibionidae Culicidae
Size 6-10 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Blood Feeders
Regions Australia Worldwide (tropical)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

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Did You Know?

Despite sharing the common name with horse flies in Australia, march flies in the family Bibionidae are completely harmless.

Mosquito

A vector for dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. Only females bite, needing blood protein for egg development. Can detect human breath CO2 from 50 meters away.

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Did You Know?

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth — they kill over 700,000 people annually through disease transmission, more than all other animals combined.