High-altitude Midge vs Red-footed Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	High-altitude Midge	Red-footed Robber Fly
Scientific Name	Diamesa latitarsis	Dioctria rufipes
Order	Diptera	Diptera
Family	Chironomidae	Asilidae
Size	2-4 mm body length	9-13 mm
Habitat	Mountains	Woodlands
Diet	Omnivores	Herbivores
Regions	Alps, Carpathians, Scandinavia	Europe, Western Asia
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

High-altitude Midge

A small, dark midge whose larvae inhabit the coldest alpine streams. It has unusually broad tarsi adapted for walking on wet rocks.

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Did You Know?

Its broad feet allow it to grip wet rocks in fast-flowing glacial streams.

Red-footed Robber Fly

A slender, metallic-dark robber fly with conspicuous orange-red legs found in European woodlands. It specializes in ambushing small flies and midges from sunlit perches on leaves.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the earliest robber flies to appear each year, often active from late spring when most other asilids are still developing.