Log Miner Midge vs Common House Mosquito

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Log Miner Midge Common House Mosquito
Scientific Name Stenochironomus hilaris Culex pipiens
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Chironomidae Culicidae
Size 5-8 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Wetlands
Diet Wood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions North America Worldwide temperate regions
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Log Miner Midge

A wood-mining chironomid whose larvae bore into submerged decaying logs in streams. Larvae create visible galleries beneath the bark of waterlogged timber.

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Did You Know?

It is one of very few insects whose larvae can digest submerged waterlogged wood.

Common House Mosquito

A ubiquitous pale brown mosquito found in urban and suburban environments. It is the primary vector of West Nile virus in temperate regions.

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Did You Know?

Underground populations in the London Tube have evolved into a distinct biting form called Culex pipiens molestus.