Tiny Dark Sweat Bee vs Horse Stomach Bot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tiny Dark Sweat Bee Horse Stomach Bot Fly
Scientific Name Lasioglossum villosulum Gasterophilus intestinalis
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Halictidae Oestridae
Size 5-6 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North Africa Cosmopolitan wherever horses are kept
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Tiny Dark Sweat Bee

A tiny, inconspicuous furrow bee widespread across the Palearctic region. Despite its small size, it is an important pollinator of crops including onion seed and carrots.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most important wild pollinators of commercial onion seed crops in Europe.

Horse Stomach Bot Fly

A bee-like fly that glues eggs to horse leg hairs where they are ingested during grooming. Larvae attach to the stomach lining and develop for months before passing out.

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Did You Know?

Larvae survive the acidic horse stomach by secreting a protective alkaline buffer around themselves.