Owl Midge vs Sergenti Sandfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Owl Midge Sergenti Sandfly
Scientific Name Clogmia albipunctata Phlebotomus sergenti
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Psychodidae Psychodidae
Size 2-5 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Cosmopolitan Mediterranean, Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Owl Midge

A small fuzzy moth-like fly found in bathrooms and drains worldwide. Its larvae feed on gelatinous films of bacteria inside drainage pipes.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite living in unsanitary conditions, it is not known to transmit any diseases to humans.

Sergenti Sandfly

A small sandfly with a broad geographic range across the Old World, serving as the vector of Leishmania tropica, which causes anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. It is adapted to both urban and periurban environments. It breeds in rubble, stone walls, and rodent burrows.

💡

Did You Know?

Cutaneous leishmaniasis transmitted by this fly was historically called 'Aleppo boil' or 'Baghdad boil' after the cities where it was common.