Black-Based Cluster Fly vs Colonial bentgrass

Pollenia labialis compared with Agrostis capillaris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-Based Cluster Fly	Colonial bentgrass
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Polleniidae	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Genus	Pollenia	Agrostis
Species	Pollenia labialis	Agrostis capillaris

Conservation Status

Black-Based Cluster Fly

LC — Least Concern

Colonial bentgrass

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-Based Cluster Fly	Colonial bentgrass
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-Based Cluster Fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Colonial bentgrass

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (Canada, Costa Rica, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (5 countries).

Black-Based Cluster Fly

The Black-Based Cluster Fly (Pollenia labialis) is a species in the genus Pollenia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Colonial bentgrass

<em>Agrostis capillaris</em>, colonial bentgrass, is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae with an extensive native range across Europe and naturalised populations in North America, South America, and Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand. This species is highly adaptable, colonising tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate grasslands, disturbed soils, roadsides, and cultivated landscapes within the Neotropical realm. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Colonial bentgrass is a fine-leaved, low-growing species often used in lawn and sports turf applications due to its tolerance for close mowing and its capacity to form dense, even swards. Its panicle inflorescences bear numerous small spikelets on delicate, hair-like branches, giving the species a feathery appearance when in flower. In its naturalised range, <em>Agrostis capillaris</em> can become invasive, competing with native grass species in acid grasslands and open heathlands. The species tolerates acidic and nutrient-poor soils, attributes that contribute to its widespread persistence in degraded landscapes. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.