Window Gnat vs Bolas Spider Moth Mimic

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Window Gnat Bolas Spider Moth Mimic
Scientific Name Sylvicola fenestralis Celaenia excavata
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Anisopodidae Noctuidae
Size 5-7 mm 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Window Gnat

A small, delicate fly with dark-spotted wings often found resting on windows and walls. Larvae develop in fermenting organic matter and tree sap runs.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite being one of the most commonly encountered flies on windows throughout Europe, this species remains largely unstudied and overlooked by entomologists.

Bolas Spider Moth Mimic

An Australian moth whose eggs are so tough they resemble seeds and can survive passage through a bird digestive tract — potentially allowing bird-mediated dispersal over long distances.

💡

Did You Know?

The eggs of this moth are so hard-shelled they can survive being eaten by a bird and pass through its digestive system intact — a unique form of insect dispersal.