Face Fly vs Stable Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Face Fly Stable Fly
Scientific Name Musca autumnalis Stomoxys calcitrans
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Muscidae Muscidae
Size 7-8 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Face Fly

A non-biting muscid fly that feeds on secretions around the eyes and nose of cattle. It is a mechanical vector of the cattle pinkeye pathogen Moraxella bovis.

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Did You Know?

It enters homes in large numbers each autumn to overwinter, hence the name autumnalis.

Stable Fly

A blood-feeding fly that closely resembles the house fly but has a prominent piercing proboscis. It is a painful biter of livestock and humans.

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Did You Know?

Unlike house flies, both males and females are blood feeders and deliver a painful bite.