Hump-backed Fly vs Turkey Gnat

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hump-backed Fly Turkey Gnat
Scientific Name Megaselia scalaris Simulium meridionale
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Phoridae Simuliidae
Size 2-3 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Underground Farmland
Diet Carrion Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Worldwide North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hump-backed Fly

A tiny scuttle fly with a distinctly humped thorax that breeds in an extraordinary range of organic matter. It is forensically important especially in enclosed burial sites.

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Did You Know?

It can colonize buried or concealed bodies that are inaccessible to larger blow flies.

Turkey Gnat

A black fly notorious for swarming livestock in the southern United States. Larvae attach to rocks in swift streams using silken pads and posterior hooks.

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Did You Know?

Massive swarms historically caused turkey and livestock deaths in the Mississippi Valley through blood loss and allergic reactions.