New Zealand Sandfly vs Mole Cricket
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | New Zealand Sandfly | Mole Cricket |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Austrosimulium ungulatum | Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa |
| Order | Diptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Simuliidae | Gryllotalpidae |
| Size | 2-4 mm | 35-46 mm |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Root Feeders |
| Regions | New Zealand, especially South Island | Europe, Asia, Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
New Zealand Sandfly
A small black fly endemic to New Zealand that inflicts painful bites, particularly notorious in the South Island's West Coast and Fiordland regions. Despite being called sandflies locally, they are actually black flies in the family Simuliidae. They breed in fast-flowing rivers and streams.
Did You Know?
Maori legend says the sandfly was created by the goddess Hine-nui-te-po to prevent humans from lingering too long in the beautiful Fiordlands.
Mole Cricket
Extraordinary burrowers with powerful shovel-like forelegs adapted for digging. Males construct horn-shaped burrows that amplify their mating calls up to 600 meters.
Did You Know?
Mole crickets build double-exponential horn-shaped burrows that act as acoustic amplifiers, broadcasting their mating calls at 90 dB — audible from 600 meters away.