Congo Floor Maggot Fly vs Triatoma rubida

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Congo Floor Maggot Fly Triatoma rubida
Scientific Name Auchmeromyia senegalensis Triatoma rubida
Order Diptera Hemiptera
Family Calliphoridae Reduviidae
Size 10-14 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Forests Deserts & Drylands
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa Southwestern United States, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Congo Floor Maggot Fly

A yellowish-brown blow fly whose larvae are unique among Diptera in being temporary ectoparasites that feed on sleeping humans. Larvae live in the dirt floors of huts and emerge at night to feed on the blood of sleeping people, then retreat into the floor. Adults do not bite.

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Did You Know?

It is the only known fly whose larvae feed on human blood like a bedbug, making it a unique case of larval hematophagy.

Triatoma rubida

A reddish-brown kissing bug found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It frequently enters homes and its bite can cause severe allergic reactions.

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Did You Know?

It is the most commonly reported triatomine species entering homes in Arizona.