Fly vs Mosquito: What's the Difference?
Mosquitoes are small flies with a long piercing mouthpart. Most other flies lap up liquids instead. A mosquito is a kind of fly, with a long piercing proboscis and long thin legs.
Common questions
Is a mosquito a fly?
Yes. Mosquitoes are a family of about 3,600 species of small flies, with a long piercing proboscis and long thin legs.
Do flies bite like mosquitoes?
Most don't: most flies lap up liquids instead. Mosquitoes have a long piercing mouthpart, and the females of many species drink blood, which they need to make eggs.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, awake when.
| Question | Fly | Mosquito |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Insect | Insect |
| Carnivore? | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Dangerous? differs | No | Yes |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Daytime | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Fly | Mosquito |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Towns, Farmland, Forest, Grassland | Wetland, Rivers & lakes, Forest, Towns |
| Size | Tiny | Tiny |
| Length differs | 6–7 mm (housefly) | Usually 3–6 mm; up to 18 mm |
| Legs | 6 | 6 |
| Covered in | Exoskeleton | Exoskeleton |
| Lives | In groups | In groups |
| Lives for differs | 1 month | 2 months |
| Can fly | Yes | Yes |
| Swims | No | No |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Fly
Insects with a single pair of wings; the hind pair became small balancing organs. There are over 150,000 species. The housefly has spread worldwide alongside people.
Mosquito
About 3,600 species of small flies. All drink nectar, but the females of many species also drink blood, which they need to make eggs. Their bites spread malaria, dengue, yellow fever and other diseases.
Everything on the mosquito page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Commonly confused animals.