Long-legged Fly vs Twin-lobed Deer Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Long-legged Fly Twin-lobed Deer Fly
Scientific Name Dolichopus ungulatus Chrysops relictus
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Dolichopodidae Tabanidae
Size 5-7 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Wetlands
Diet Herbivores Blood Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Long-legged Fly

A small, slender fly with a brilliant metallic green body and long, thin legs. Males have modified leg structures used in elaborate courtship displays performed on leaves.

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Did You Know?

Male long-legged flies perform an elaborate wing-waving courtship dance on sunlit leaves, displaying silvery wing patches to watching females like tiny semaphore signals.

Twin-lobed Deer Fly

A golden-green eyed deer fly with distinctive dark wing markings. It breeds in peaty wetlands and bogs across northern regions.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most common biting flies encountered in northern European bogs.