Blandford Fly vs Maritime Long-legged Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blandford Fly Maritime Long-legged Fly
Scientific Name Simulium posticatum Aphrosylus praedator
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Simuliidae Dolichopodidae
Size 2-3 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Beaches & Coastal
Diet Blood Feeders Predators
Regions Europe North America, Pacific Coast
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blandford Fly

A notorious black fly that causes severe allergic reactions with its bite around the Blandford area of Dorset. Females need blood meals for egg development. Larvae develop in clean rivers.

💡

Did You Know?

Named after Blandford Forum in Dorset where outbreaks of painful bites affect thousands of people each summer.

Maritime Long-legged Fly

A specialized marine intertidal fly that hunts on wave-splashed rocks and barnacles. It has a metallic greenish body and uniquely adapted legs for gripping wet rocky surfaces.

💡

Did You Know?

It can remain submerged by waves for short periods, surviving in an air bubble trapped by its body hairs.