Horn Fly vs Sweet Potato Flea Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horn Fly Sweet Potato Flea Beetle
Scientific Name Haematobia irritans Chaetocnema confinis
Order Diptera Coleoptera
Family Muscidae Chrysomelidae
Size 3-5 mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Blood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Worldwide North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horn Fly

A small blood-feeding fly that spends almost its entire life on cattle. It clusters at the base of horns and along the back and belly.

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Did You Know?

Each fly feeds up to 40 times daily, and infestations of thousands per animal cause severe weight loss.

Sweet Potato Flea Beetle

A minute, shiny bronze-black flea beetle with enlarged hind legs for jumping. It creates linear feeding tracks in sweet potato tubers, reducing their market quality.

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Did You Know?

Larvae tunnel into sweet potato tubers creating winding tracks just under the skin, causing cosmetic damage that significantly reduces marketable yield.