Metallic Green Leaf Beetle vs Common Stiletto Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Metallic Green Leaf Beetle Common Stiletto Fly
Scientific Name Plagiodera versicolora Thereva nobilitata
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Chrysomelidae Therevidae
Size 3-5 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Wetlands Heathland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Metallic Green Leaf Beetle

A small, rounded beetle with shiny metallic blue-green to dark green elytra. It is one of the most common willow-feeding beetles in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

It can produce multiple generations per year and may overwinter as adults in bark crevices and leaf litter near willow stands.

Common Stiletto Fly

A slender, densely hairy fly with a pointed abdomen and silvery-white body hairs. Adults bask on sunlit leaves and bare ground, making short rapid flights when approached.

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Did You Know?

Stiletto fly larvae are important biological control agents, feeding on root-eating pest larvae in sandy soils.