Nose Bot Fly of Horses vs Rose Midge

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Nose Bot Fly of Horses Rose Midge
Scientific Name Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis Dasineura rhodophaga
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Oestridae Cecidomyiidae
Size 10-14 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Omnivores Gall Makers
Regions Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Nose Bot Fly of Horses

A dark-bodied bot fly that deposits reddish-black eggs around the lips of horses. Larvae penetrate the lip mucosa and migrate to the stomach, then before pupation they reattach to the rectal mucosa, causing irritation and inflammation. The name refers to the reddish rectal inflammation it causes.

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Did You Know?

Before pupation, larvae reattach to the horse's rectum, causing such irritation that affected horses may rub their tails raw.

Rose Midge

A tiny gall midge whose larvae develop inside rose buds, causing them to blacken and fail to open. Adults are delicate yellowish flies barely visible to the naked eye.

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Did You Know?

A single rose bud can contain dozens of tiny orange larvae that destroy the flower before it ever opens.