Common House Fly vs Biting Midge (No-See-Um)
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Common House Fly | Biting Midge (No-See-Um) |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Musca domestica | Culicoides imicola |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Muscidae | Ceratopogonidae |
| Size | 6-9 mm | 1-3 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Omnivores | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide | Africa, Middle East, southern Europe, Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Common House Fly
One of the most widely distributed insects on Earth. Can taste with their feet, which have chemoreceptors. Capable of rapid reproduction with complete lifecycle in 7-10 days.
Did You Know?
House flies taste with their feet — they have over 100 taste receptors on each foot and can detect sugar just by landing on a surface.
Biting Midge (No-See-Um)
A tiny biting midge that is the primary Old World vector of bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus. It breeds in moist, organically enriched soil and is crepuscular, biting at dawn and dusk. Its northward spread into Europe has introduced bluetongue to previously unaffected areas.
Did You Know?
Climate change has allowed this midge to expand northward into Europe, bringing bluetongue disease to countries that had never experienced it.