Dance Fly with Feathered Legs vs Alpine Marsh Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dance Fly with Feathered Legs Alpine Marsh Fly
Scientific Name Rhamphomyia sulcata Elgiva solicita
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Empididae Sciomyzidae
Size 5-8 mm 5-8 mm body length
Habitat Rivers & Streams Meadows
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions Europe Europe, Alps
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dance Fly with Feathered Legs

A small dance fly where females have distinctive feathered or pennate leg scales used to attract males. Females inflate their abdomen to appear larger during swarming displays.

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Did You Know?

In a rare reversal, females are the ornamented sex, using feathered legs and inflated abdomens to compete for males.

Alpine Marsh Fly

A snail-killing fly of wet alpine meadows and bogs. Its larvae are specialist predators of aquatic snails.

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Did You Know?

Each larva can consume multiple snails during its development.