Reindeer Nose Bot Fly vs Sonorensis Biting Midge

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Reindeer Nose Bot Fly Sonorensis Biting Midge
Scientific Name Cephenemyia trompe Culicoides sonorensis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Oestridae Ceratopogonidae
Size 14-18 mm 1-3 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Blood Feeders
Regions Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia North America, especially southwestern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Reindeer Nose Bot Fly

A large, hairy, bee-like fly that squirts live larvae into the nostrils of reindeer. The larvae develop in the nasal passages and throat of the host. Adults resemble bumblebees and do not feed.

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Did You Know?

This fly is one of the fastest insects in the world for its size, capable of pursuing running reindeer at speeds exceeding 40 kilometers per hour.

Sonorensis Biting Midge

A small biting midge that is the primary vector of bluetongue virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus in North America. It breeds in muddy margins of dairy wastewater ponds and is most abundant in the southwestern United States. It is responsible for severe livestock disease outbreaks.

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Did You Know?

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease transmitted by this midge kills thousands of white-tailed deer across North America annually.