Stable Fly vs Melas Malaria Mosquito

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Stable Fly Melas Malaria Mosquito
Scientific Name Stomoxys calcitrans Anopheles melas
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Muscidae Culicidae
Size 6-8 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Worldwide West African coast, from Senegal to Angola
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Stable Fly

A blood-feeding fly that closely resembles the house fly but has a prominent piercing proboscis. It is a painful biter of livestock and humans.

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Did You Know?

Unlike house flies, both males and females are blood feeders and deliver a painful bite.

Melas Malaria Mosquito

The West African saltwater-breeding member of the Anopheles gambiae complex, breeding in mangrove swamps and brackish lagoons. It is a secondary malaria vector in coastal West Africa. Its high biting rate partially compensates for its lower vector competence compared to A. gambiae.

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Did You Know?

Despite being less efficient at transmitting malaria than A. gambiae, its abundance in coastal areas makes it a significant local vector.