Pigeon Louse Fly vs Horn-faced Marsh Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pigeon Louse Fly Horn-faced Marsh Fly
Scientific Name Pseudolynchia canariensis Dictya umbrarum
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Hippoboscidae Sciomyzidae
Size 5-7 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Wetlands
Diet Blood Feeders Detritivores
Regions Cosmopolitan - worldwide wherever pigeons occur North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pigeon Louse Fly

A flattened, tough-bodied blood-sucking fly found on pigeons and doves worldwide. It has a leathery appearance, strong claws, and wings that allow it to move between bird hosts.

💡

Did You Know?

It is the primary vector of pigeon malaria, a Haemoproteus blood parasite that infects domestic and wild pigeons.

Horn-faced Marsh Fly

A small yellowish marsh fly with patterned wings and prominent facial ridges. Larvae feed on decomposing aquatic snails in shallow wetland habitats.

💡

Did You Know?

Sciomyzid flies are the only family of Diptera in which the larvae are obligate associates of mollusks.