Common House Mosquito vs Flat-footed Scuttle Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common House Mosquito Flat-footed Scuttle Fly
Scientific Name Culex pipiens Metopina oligoneura
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Culicidae Phoridae
Size 4-7 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Wetlands Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Detritivores
Regions Worldwide temperate regions Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common House Mosquito

A ubiquitous pale brown mosquito found in urban and suburban environments. It is the primary vector of West Nile virus in temperate regions.

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Did You Know?

Underground populations in the London Tube have evolved into a distinct biting form called Culex pipiens molestus.

Flat-footed Scuttle Fly

A minute brown phorid fly with broad flattened tarsi and reduced wing venation. It is associated with ant nests where it scavenges on refuse and dead ants.

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Did You Know?

It lives inside ant colonies as a tolerated guest, feeding on the waste materials that ants discard in their refuse chambers.