Western Ground Squirrel Flea vs Stable Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Ground Squirrel Flea Stable Fly
Scientific Name Oropsylla montana Stomoxys calcitrans
Order Siphonaptera Diptera
Family Ceratophyllidae Muscidae
Size 2-3 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Western North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Western Ground Squirrel Flea

A flea found on ground squirrels and prairie dogs in western North America. It is an important vector of sylvatic plague in wild rodent populations.

💡

Did You Know?

It is the primary flea responsible for maintaining plague in wild rodent populations across the American West.

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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