Dance Fly with Feathered Legs vs Little Black Caddis
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Dance Fly with Feathered Legs | Little Black Caddis |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rhamphomyia sulcata | Chimarra obscura |
| Order | Diptera | Trichoptera |
| Family | Empididae | Philopotamidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 6-9 mm |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Omnivores |
| Regions | Europe | Eastern North America |
| 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.
Did You Know?
In a rare reversal, females are the ornamented sex, using feathered legs and inflated abdomens to compete for males.
Little Black Caddis
A small, dark caddisfly that builds finger-shaped silk nets in stream crevices. It is widespread in warm-water streams across eastern North America.
Did You Know?
Its silk capture tube is among the finest-meshed nets of any caddisfly, trapping microscopic food particles.