Sweat Bee vs Stable Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sweat Bee Stable Fly
Scientific Name Halictus ligatus Stomoxys calcitrans
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Halictidae Muscidae
Size 7-11 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sweat Bee

A small, dark metallic bee that is attracted to human perspiration for its salt content. It exhibits variable social behavior ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial nesting.

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Did You Know?

Sweat bees are among the most important wild pollinators of crops, and some species can switch between solitary and social living depending on environmental conditions.

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.