Common House Mosquito vs Lythrum Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common House Mosquito Lythrum Bee
Scientific Name Culex pipiens Melitta nigricans
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Culicidae Melittidae
Size 4-7 mm 10-12 mm
Habitat Wetlands Wetlands
Diet Blood Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions Worldwide temperate regions Europe
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

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.

Lythrum Bee

A specialist bee that collects pollen from purple loosestrife along rivers and wetland margins. It is a ground-nesting species found in damp habitats.

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Did You Know?

It times its emergence precisely to the flowering of purple loosestrife in July, and in years of drought it may fail to reproduce entirely.