Notch-horned Cleg vs Barn Swallow Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Notch-horned Cleg Barn Swallow Bug
Scientific Name Haematopota pluvialis Oeciacus vicarius
Order Diptera Hemiptera
Family Tabanidae Cimicidae
Size 8-12 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Notch-horned Cleg

A grey horse fly with mottled wings that approaches silently before biting. It is one of the most common biting flies in Europe.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most horse flies, the cleg approaches completely silently, landing and biting before being noticed.

Barn Swallow Bug

A cimicid ectoparasite of cliff swallows and barn swallows in North America. It can bite humans in buildings after swallow nests are abandoned.

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Did You Know?

Swallow colonies may abandon heavily infested nesting sites and relocate to parasite-free locations.