Spine-legged Robber Fly vs New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spine-legged Robber Fly New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly
Scientific Name Diogmites angustipennis Atyphella flammans
Order Diptera Coleoptera
Family Asilidae Lampyridae
Size 12-18 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Forests
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Spine-legged Robber Fly

A slender amber-colored robber fly with conspicuously spined legs. It hunts from the ground in open sandy or rocky areas.

💡

Did You Know?

Its heavily spined legs form a basket-like cage to trap prey in mid-air.

New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly

An Australasian firefly found in subtropical forests of eastern Australia. It produces a steady amber glow rather than a blinking flash.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite sharing the name 'glow-worm' with New Zealand cave glow-worms, this is a true firefly beetle, not a fungus gnat.