Hump-backed Fly vs Verrucarum Sandfly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Hump-backed Fly | Verrucarum Sandfly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaselia scalaris | Lutzomyia verrucarum |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Phoridae | Psychodidae |
| Size | 2-3 mm | 2-3 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Carrion Feeders | Carrion Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide | Peru, Andean valleys of South 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.
Did You Know?
It can colonize buried or concealed bodies that are inaccessible to larger blow flies.
Verrucarum Sandfly
A small sandfly found in the inter-Andean valleys of Peru, serving as the vector of Bartonella bacilliformis, which causes Carrion's disease (Oroya fever and verruga peruana). It is active at dusk and night at altitudes between 800 and 3,000 meters.
Did You Know?
Carrion's disease killed thousands of workers during construction of the Lima-La Oroya railway in the 1870s.