Barn Swallow Bug vs Western Snakefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Barn Swallow Bug Western Snakefly
Scientific Name Oeciacus vicarius Agulla adnixa
Order Hemiptera Raphidioptera
Family Cimicidae Raphidiidae
Size 3-4 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Predators
Regions North America Western North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Barn Swallow Bug

A cimicid ectoparasite of cliff swallows and barn swallows in North America. It can bite humans in buildings after swallow nests are abandoned.

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Did You Know?

Swallow colonies may abandon heavily infested nesting sites and relocate to parasite-free locations.

Western Snakefly

A North American snakefly found in western forests and woodlands. Larvae develop under bark of conifers where they hunt bark beetle larvae.

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Did You Know?

Western snakeflies require a cold winter period to complete development, which is why they are absent from tropical regions.