Pedician Crane Fly vs Sand Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pedician Crane Fly Sand Fly
Scientific Name Pedicia rivosa Phlebotomus papatasi
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Pediciidae Psychodidae
Size 18-25 mm body length 2-3 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Caves
Diet Herbivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Northern Asia Africa, Asia, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pedician Crane Fly

A large, mottled-winged crane fly whose predatory larvae hunt invertebrates in wet mud and stream margins. Adults are often found resting on vegetation near flowing water.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most crane fly larvae that eat decaying matter, its larvae are voracious predators that ambush worms and insect larvae in mud.

Sand Fly

A tiny, hairy, yellowish fly with large dark eyes and wings held in a V-shape above the body. Females feed on blood and are the primary vectors of leishmaniasis in the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Sand flies are so small they can pass through standard mosquito netting, and they fly in short silent hops rather than sustained buzzing flight.