Gadfly vs Housefly - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between gadfly and housefly

is that gadfly is any dipterous insect of the family Oestridae, commonly known as botflies while housefly is any fly regularly found in human dwellings.

gadfly

English

Noun

(wikipedia gadfly) (gadflies)

Any dipterous insect of the family Oestridae, commonly known as botflies.

A horsefly: any of various species of fly, of the family Tabanidae, noted for buzzing about animals and sucking their blood.

One who upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by proving an irritant.

(pejorative) One who merely irritates without making useful suggestions.

(slang) A bloodsucker

He's a regular gadfly and takes advantage of his friend's generosity.

housefly

English

(wikipedia housefly) (Musca domestica)

Alternative forms

* house fly, house-fly

Noun

(houseflies)

Any fly regularly found in human dwellings.

# The common housefly, Musca domestica , that frequents most homes and spreads some diseases.

#* 1990 , D. C. Kaslow, S. Welburn, 16: Insect-transmitted pathogens in the insect midgut'', M. Lehane, P. Billingsley (editors), ''Biology of the Insect Midgut , page 454,

Of the three potential means (carriage on the body and legs, regurgitation and defecation) by which houseflies' can transmit pathogens, one involves passage through the gut. During passage through the ' housefly , pathogens may replicate within the gut.

#* 2004 , R. Jurenka, Insect Pheromone Biosynthesis'', Stefan Schulz (editor), ''The Chemistry of Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals I , page 123,

In the housefly , M. domestica , sex pheromone production is correlated with egg development.

#* 2011 , Ross Piper, Pests: A Guide to the World's Most Maligned, Yet Misunderstood Creatures , page 102,

Houseflies are known to carry at least 100 different pathogens and they are vectors for at least 65 of these.