Hairy-saddled Colletes vs Dance Fly with Feathered Legs

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hairy-saddled Colletes Dance Fly with Feathered Legs
Scientific Name Colletes succinctus Rhamphomyia sulcata
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Colletidae Empididae
Size 10-13 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Heathland Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Hairy-saddled Colletes

A late-summer plasterer bee that is a specialist on heather, secreting a cellophane-like lining in its underground nest cells. It is an important heathland indicator species.

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Did You Know?

The cellophane-like substance it secretes to waterproof its nest cells is a unique biopolymer not found in any other group of animals.

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.