Lookalikes
for Drain Fly
Several small flies get mistaken for drain flies. Fruit flies are yellowish-tan with big red eyes and swarm rotting produce, not drain slime. Phorid (scuttle) flies also breed in decaying matter but have dark eyes and dart across surfaces; large numbers can signal a broken sewer pipe. Source: https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-puyallup/uploads/sites/415/2014/12/PNW_PPDrainFlies.pdf Source: https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Drain-Flies-Publ.-E-184.pdf Fungus gnats are another look-alike, but their wings are dark and not fuzzy, and their larvae develop in houseplant potting soil. Source: https://extensionentomology.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Drain-Flies-Publ.-E-184.pdf