European Cherry Fruit Fly vs Common Malaria Mosquito

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute European Cherry Fruit Fly Common Malaria Mosquito
Scientific Name Rhagoletis cerasi Anopheles quadrimaculatus
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Tephritidae Culicidae
Size 4-5 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Orchards Ponds & Lakes
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

European Cherry Fruit Fly

A small black fly with distinctive wing banding that infests sweet and sour cherries. Larvae feed inside cherries, causing them to rot and drop.

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Did You Know?

It is a textbook example of sympatric speciation, with host races on sweet and sour cherries.

Common Malaria Mosquito

A freshwater mosquito that was the primary malaria vector in the eastern United States. Larvae float horizontally at the water surface in slow-moving waters.

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Did You Know?

It is named for the four dark spots on each wing that distinguish it from other Anopheles species.