Blackflies - Vernacular Names

Blackfly Vernacular Names.
These are the names given to blackflies (Simuliidae) in local languages.

Compiled by John B. Davies
(based on the list published in Studia dipterologia Supplement 44 (2006) 129-135)

The local language names given below have been collected from published work and from personal accounts provided by colleagues.

The sources are acknowledged in the Refs column using the initials of the contributor (e.g. Mc C) or by number for published work (e.g. 23). The list can be accessed by clicking on the Refs heading. Notes relating to vernacular names (e.g. #p or [a]) can be accessed by clicking on the Name heading

To search the list choose a geographical area or country from the list below. Alternatively you can search the lists by using the "Find" facility of your browser.

If you know of a name that is not on this list, please send details and any other comments to the author by clicking on this link

Africa, Central	Africa, East	Africa, West	Americas
Atlantic	Asia & Russia	New Zealand & Tasmania	Pacific Islands
Worldwide by language	Central Europe	Northern Europe

Amazonia	Argentina	Armenia
Belize	Brazil	British Isles	Burkina Faso
Canada	Chile	Costa Rica	Cuba
Finland
Germany	Ghana	Guyana	Guinea, Equitorial
Hungary
Iceland	India	Italy
Kenya
Latvia	Lithuania
Madagascar	Malawi Mali	Marquesas	Mexico
New Zealand	Nigeria	Norway
Pakistan	Philippines
Russia
S. America, S. Cone	Sierra Leone	St. Helena	Sudan
Serbia	Sweden
Tanzania	Tasmania	Thailand	Togo
Uganda	U.S.A
Venezuela

Main List

Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs.
WEST AFRICA
Burkina Faso		musomusoninn	Dioula	S. damnosum s.l	HH, 52
Ghana		nukotia	Twi	general mb	RAC
Ghana		evoe	Ewe	general mb	RAC
Ghana		kobi-kobi	Ga	general mb	RAC
Mali	also Burkina Faso	merente	Bambara	S. damnosum s.l	HH, 52
Nigeria	Benue, Manor	abunbu	Tiv	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Abuja Emirate	akirindi	Gwandara	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Abuja Emirate	akurundi	Koro	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Gwagwalida	angabu	Bassa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Izom, Gwachipe	bopi or bopwi	Gwari	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Lafiagi, Kataeregi	bumpu	Gwari	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Abuja	bumpwi	Gwari	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Benue, Uke	bumpwi	Gwari	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Abuja	cikwibi [a]	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Adamawa, Kogin Baba	dori	Chamba	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Adamawa, Serti	filfiluwa	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger/Sokoto, Zema	filfiluwa	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Kabba, Ogugu	ita	Gara	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Izom, Bwari	kurukundi	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Kagara, Kusheriki, Tegina	kurukundu	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Zungeru	kurukuru	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Zaria, Kudaru, Saminaka	kuskuru	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Benue, Katsina Ala	kyowa	Tiv	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Sokoto, Zema,	luntulumu	Bangawa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Lafiagi, Ebba, Kutiwenji	makurgi	Nupe	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Adamawa, Serti, Beli	mukwai	Fulani	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Niger, Abuja, Izom, Madalla	shakwibi [a]	Hausa	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Nigeria	Benue, Takum	yandori	Jukun	S. damnosum s.l.	1
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
Sierra Leone		mawi #s, morwesia #p	Mende	S. damnosum s.l.	JBD
Sierra Leone		mooli or mooyee	Konno	S. damnosum s.l.	36
Sierra Leone		mapus	Timne	S. damnosum s.l.	36
Sierra Leone		poondee gootona [ab]	Lokkoh	S. damnosum s.l.	36
Sierra Leone		koondee	Susu	S. damnosum s.l.	36
Sierra Leone		mootec	Mandingo	S. damnosum s.l.	36
Togo		abuw�	Tem	S. damnosum s.l.	HH, 52
Togo		dibid�	Tem	S. damnosum s.l.	HH, 52
Togo		ebuude, abuwee	Kabiy�	S. damnosum s.l.	HH, 53
Togo		vuuvuuravur	Nawvm	S. damnosum s.l.	HH, 53

CENTRAL AFRICA
Equatorial Guinea	Bioko,	mut-mut		S. damnosum s.l.	RAC
Equatorial Guinea	Bioko,	mutu-mutu		S. damnosum s.l.	RAC
Sudan	Southern,	amberago-tanga	Farogi	S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Southern,	azire dupo [b]	Zande	S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Southern,	jor	Ballanda	S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Abu Hamed,	kunteb		S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Southern, Wan Alel	makwajagang	Dinka	S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Southern, Mvolo	matingaling		S. damnosum s.l.	6
Sudan	Southern, Dongola	nemettigui	Dongola	S. griseicolle	24 [o]
Sudan	Southern, Dongola	nemittaminga	Mahass	S. griseicolle	24 [o]
Sudan	Southern, Dongola	nimitti [c]		S. griseicolle [c]	2
Sudan	Southern,	tudu	Ndogo	S. damnosum s.l.	2
Sudan	Southern, Raga	turluk		S. damnosum s.l.	2
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
EAST AFRICA
Kenya		kekonjek	Lumbwa	S. neavei	37
Madagascar		mouka-fouhi [d]	Malagasy	S. neireti	5
Malawi	Thyolo,	chipweta	Chichewa	S. damnosum s.l.	JBD
Malawi	Thyolo	Thyolo fly or Tea fly	English	S. damnosum s.l.
Tanzania	Usambara Mountains	usubi	Swahili	general mb.	JR
Tanzania	Usambara Mountains	usinye	Shambaa	general mb	JR
Uganda	Jinja, R. Nile	Jinja fly	English	S. damnosum t.f.	7
Uganda		nzi mbwa	Swahili	S. damnosum s.l.	Mc C
Uganda	Jinja, Ripon Falls	mbwa	Swahili	S. damnosum s.l.	50
Uganda	Moyo & Adjumani Districts	Logurutumwi	Madi/Swahil	S. damnosum s.l.	RP & RD [ao]
AMERICAS
Cuba	Pinar del Rio	rodador #s, rodadores #p[ah]	Spanish	S. quadrivittatum	GGG
Cuba		roedor #s, roedores #p[ai]	Spanish	S. quadrivittatum	GGG
Costa Rica		boccon (es)	Spanish		DMW
Belize	General in uplands	batlas		S. quadrivittatum	3
Belize	General in uplands	batlas		S. metallicum s.l.	3
Belize	General in uplands	botlass			SS, 52
Mexico	Oaxaca state,	biuxinisa #s [f]	Zapoteca	S. biuxinisa	21
Mexico		jejenes #p	Spanish	general mb	15
Mexico		moscas negras #p	Spanish	general mb	15
Mexico		rodadores #p	Spanish	general mb	15
Mexico		tabarillos #p	Spanish	general mb	15
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
Canada		piihkus	Naskapi	Simuliids mb	35
Canada	Ontario, Algonquin Park	pikoseesee	Cree?	Simuliids mb	PB
Canada	Quebec,	mouche noir	French	any pest species	42
Canada	British Columbia, Vancouver Is.	river leech	English	S. hippovorum [ag]	42
Canada	Manitoba & Saskatchewan, prairies	striped black fly	English	S. vittatum comp.	42
Canada	Saskatchewan, central	swamp fly	English	S. vampirum	42
Canada & U.S.A.		black gnat	English	any pest species	42
U.S.A	Alaska	white socks	English	S. venustum?	MLS, 42
U.S.A		buffalo-gnat [g]	English	S. meridionale	42, 9
U.S.A	Maine,	reed smut [l]	English		AP, 41
U.S.A	North East, Adirondack Mts.	Adirondack black fly	English	P. mixtum, S. venustum	42
U.S.A	NW Territories, Nunavut	Barren Lands black fly	English	S. venustum?	42
U.S.A	New York State, Ithaca	blood-sucker	English	S. innoxium [ad]	42
U.S.A	Rhode Island,	buckie fly	English	P. mixtum [ae]	42
U.S.A	Florida,	bull fly	English	S. meridionale	42
U.S.A	Virginia,	cholera gnat	English	S. parmatum & jenningsi [af]	42
U.S.A	Mississippi River basin,	goose gnat	English	S. meridionale	42
U.S.A		humpbacked gnat	English	any species	42
U.S.A	Maine, NE. Pennsylvania,	may fly	English	P. mixtum, S. venustum	42
U.S.A	widespread, W. Canada	sand fly	English		42
U.S.A	Western,	yellow gnat	English	P. fulvum	42
U.S.A.	S.E. States,	turkey gnat	English	S. meridionale & others	9
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	benti #s	Sui�	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rios Aripuana & Madeira	casaca de couro [y]	Portuguese	Kempfsimulium simplicicolor	34
Brazil	Rond�nia State, Upper Rio Madeira	cat�ga	[w]	Kempfsimulium simplicicolor	34
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	ej�nte #s	Mehinaku	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	ej� #s	Ualapiti	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	ex�nte #s	Waura	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	ipium #s	Aueti	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Rond�nia State, Upper R�o Madeira	mikum #s	Suru�	Simuliids mb [x]	VP-D
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	nipium #s	Kamaiura	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Amap� State, R�o Amapari	piju #s	Wayampi, Amapari	Simuliids mb	31
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	pi�to #s	Trumai	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	pot�luri #s	Matip�	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	tsotal�ri #s	Kuikuro (Nahu�to)	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Rio Xing�	tsotal�ri #s	Kalapalo	Simuliids mb	33
Brazil	Roraima State, Upper R�o Uraricoera basin	ukuxi #s, ukuxipi #p	Yanomami	Simuliids mb	30
Brazil	Mato Grosso State, Upper Rio Tapaj�s basin	xiual� #s	Ariti	Simuliids mb	32
Brazil	Par� State,	ahep� #s	Apiac�	S. incrustatum, S. amazonicum gp.	29
Brazil	Southern,	borrachudo #s	Portuguese		9
Brazil		borrachudos #p	Portuguese	general mb	19
Brazil	Par� State,	ieps� #s	Mundurucu	S. incrustatum, S. amazonicum gp.	29
Brazil	Amazonas State, Upper R�o Negro basin	par�to #s	Yanomami	S. oyapockense, S. guianense, S. incrustatum	VP-D
Brazil	Northern,	pium #s	Tupy	Simuliids mb	28
Brazil		piuns #p	Amerindian	Simuliids mb	19
Brazil	Par� State, R. Tapaj�s	upi� #s	Mau�	S. incrustatum, S. amazonicum gp.	29
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
Amazonia		pium #s, piuns #p	Amerindian	S. amazonicum group	9
Argentina	Arica,	jerjeles #p	Spanish	S. escomeli & others	13
Argentina		mosco rubio #s	Spanish	general	14 [n]
Chile	Taitao Peninsula,	polco	local	general mb	18
Guyana	Rupununi,	caboura fly #s	English	general mb	16
Guyana	Essequibo,	cabouri	Arawak	Simuliids mb	23
Guyana		cabouri	old Arawak		23
Guyana	Essequibo, Apoteri	cabowra	Amerindian	S. haematopotum	22
Guyana	Essequibo, Apoteri	itan	Amerindian	S. sanguineum	22
Guyana	Rupununi, Rs. Rupununi & Essequibo	itanimi	Amerindian	S. guianense s.l.	22, 23
Guyana		itanimi	Amerindian	S. guianense s.l.	22
Guyana		kabowra	English	Simuliids mb	JBD
Guyana	Rupununi, Rs. Rupununi & Essequibo	pium #s	Amerindian	S. amazonicum	22, 23
S. Cone [am]		jejenes #p	Spanish	general [e]	14
S. Cone [am]		jerjeles #p	Spanish	general [e]	14
S. Cone [am]		mbariguis #p	Spanish	general [e]	14
S. Cone [am]		pequitas #p	Spanish	general [e]	14
S. Cone [am]		petros #p	Spanish	general [e]	14
Spanish		jejenes #p	Spanish	general mb	17
Spanish		mosquitos pelones #p	Spanish		20
Venezuela	R. Orinoco,	moschettos #p	Spanish		9 [m]
Venezuela	Amazonia,	peti	Yanomami	S. guianense	M-GB
Venezuela	Amazonia,	warabokoshe	Yanomami	S. bipunctatum	M-GB
Venezuela		alazanes #p	Spanish	general mb	17
Venezuela		mosquitos negritos #p	Spanish	general mb	17
Spanish		jejen #s' jejenes #p [k]	Spanish		9
Spanish		simulido #s, simulideos #p	Spanish		9
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
ATLANTIC
Iceland	General, mainly north	bitmy #s [s]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
Iceland	General, mainly north	bitvargur #s [r]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
Iceland	North, River Laxa	fluga #s [s]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other
Iceland	General, mainly north	my #s [p]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
Iceland	General, mainly north	myg #s [q]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
Iceland	General, mainly north	myvargur #s [r]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
Iceland	North, River Laxa	paeluvargur #s [s]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	GMG
Iceland	North, River Laxa	vargfluga #s [s]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	GMG
Iceland	North, River Laxa	vargur #s [s]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	GMG
Iceland	General, mainly north	vatzm� #s [q]	Icelandic	S. vittatum & other	25, 26
St. Helena	Widespread	mint-flies #p [nmb][ah]	English	S. loveridgei	43

ASIA & RUSSIA
Armenia		mzhegh	Armenian	Simuliids mb	DW
Burma	nr Toungoo,	mwachi fly #s			11
India	Darjeeling,	bhusuna		S. indicum & others	10
India	Widespread,	blackflies #p	English	Simuliids mb	10
India	N &NE,	dimdam		S. indicum & others	10
India	Himalayas,	potu	Hindustani	S. indicum	11, 12
India	Arunachal Pradesh, N. Lakhimpur	dam dim		Simuliidae	11
India	Aka Hills,	dam-dim		S. indicum	11
India	Aka Hills,	damdum		S. indicum	11
India		dimdam		Simuliidae	11
India		dimdams		S. indicum	11
India	Aka Hills,	pepsi		S. indicum	11
India	W. Himalayas,	phisho	Balti	S. indicum	12
India	W. Himalayas,	phisniari	Pehari	S. indicum	12
India	Himalaya,	pipsa		Simuliidae	11
India	Sikkim,	pipsa		Simuliidae	11
Pakistan	Chilas,	moi	Shina	Simuliidae	11
Russia		gnus	Russian	Simuliids & other biters	[v]
Russia	Siberia, Altai mountains	mokriza #p	Russian		27[t]
Russia		moshka #s, moshki #p	Russian		9
Russia	Volga, Kazan to Kamgshin	moshkara #p	Russian		27 [t]
Thailand	Inthanon area,	kuns		Simuliidae	11
Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
NEW ZEALAND & TASMANIA
New Zealand	General	te namu #s #p	Maori	Austrosimulium spp	49
New Zealand	General,	sandflies #p			4
New Zealand		sandflies [h]	English		9
Tasmania	General,	sandflies #p			4

PACIFIC ISLANDS
Widespread		no-no #s	General		ML
Marquesas	Nuka - Hiva, Taipivai Valley	no-no or nau-nau	Polynesian	S. buissoni	9
Philippines		nek nek	Tagalog

WORLDWIDE
English		blackfly #s	English		9
English		black-fly #s	English		9
English		simuliid [i]	English		9
French		simulie #s [j]	French		9
Spanish		jejen #s' jejenes #p [k]	Spanish		9
Spanish		simulido #s, simulideos #p	Spanish		9


Country	Area	Name	Language	Species Name	Refs
CENTRAL EUROPE
Brit Isles	Scotland, Highlands	birch flies #p	English	"S. reptans" & others	8
Brit Isles	England, Dorset	Blandford Fly #s	English	S. posticatum	9
Brit Isles	Scotland, Wester Ross	c�san t�rtan [ac]	Gaelic		Mc C
Brit. Isles	England & Scotland	reed smut #s [l]	English		9
Brit. Isles	England, Oxfordshire	Stonesfield stinger	English	S. posticatum	44
Brit. Isles	England, Oxfordshire	Woodstock Fly	English	S. posticatum	44
Brit. Isles	Central England	Watercress Fly [an]	English	Simuliids [an]	9, 51
Germany		Kriebelm�cke #s -n#p [n]	German		9
Italy	Trentino/Alto Adige, Adige Valley	musolino #s -i #p	Italian dialect	Simuliids mb	39
Latvia		knisilis #s, -li #p	Latvian	Simuliids	RB, VS
Lithuania		mashalas #s, -ai #p	Lithuanian	Simuliids	RB
Lithuania	South	musele #s, -es #p	Lithuanian	S. maculatum	RB
Serbia	R.Danube, Banat	Bannatischerm�cke	German	S. colmbaschense	27 [t]
Serbia	R.Danube, Golubatz	Kolumbatischerm�cke	German	S. colmbaschense	27 [t]
Serbia	Novi Sad	klintonka #s, -e#p [aj]	Serbian	S. erythrocephalum	40 AC
Serbia	Novi Sad	natovka #s, -e#p [aj]	Serbian	S. erythrocephalum	40 AC
	Golubat,	Golubatz Fly #s	English	S. colmbaschense	9
Hungary		p�possz�nyogok	Hungarian		CD
Hungary		cseszl�k	Hungarian		CD

NORTHERN EUROPE
Finland		m�k�r�t	Finnish	Simuliids mb	38
Finland		m�k�r�	Finnish	Simuliids mb	JI
Finland		m�k�r�inen	Finnish	Simuliids mb	JI
Norway	Central, in mountains	fjellsokk	Norwegian	Simuliidae [u]	JER
Norway	Jotunheimen, Gjende	gjendeflua	Norwegian	Metacnephia tredecimata	JER
Norway	�stfold, Tune district	tuneflua	Norwegian	S. truncatum	JER
Norway	Southern, Drangedal	Atlasmucke -n#p [al]	German	'Tipula Sericea' (Simulium sp.)	45
Sweden	Northern, Torne�lven valley	forsflugen	Swedish	Metacnephia lyra	BM
Sweden		knott #s #p [z]	Swedish	Simuliidae	BM
Sweden	Northern, Torne & Vindal Rs.	forsfluga	Swedish	Metacnephia lyra [aa]	BM
Sweden	Northern, Torne & Vindal Rs.	forsknott	Swedish	Metacnephia lyra [aa]	BM

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