Cheese Skipper vs Iberian Snakefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cheese Skipper Iberian Snakefly
Scientific Name Piophila casei Harraphidia laufferi
Order Diptera Raphidioptera
Family Piophilidae Raphidiidae
Size 3-5 mm 10-14 mm
Habitat Caves Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Cosmopolitan Spain, Portugal
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Cheese Skipper

A small fly whose larvae infest stored cheese, cured meats, and other protein-rich foods. Larvae can leap up to 15 cm by curling and snapping their bodies.

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Did You Know?

Sardinian casu marzu cheese is deliberately infested with its larvae as a delicacy.

Iberian Snakefly

A snakefly endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, found in cork oak and pine woodlands. It is one of several snakefly species restricted to the western Mediterranean.

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Did You Know?

The Iberian Peninsula is a hotspot for snakefly diversity, hosting more species per area than almost anywhere else.