Spine-legged Robber Fly vs Subarctic Crane Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spine-legged Robber Fly Subarctic Crane Fly
Scientific Name Diogmites angustipennis Prionocera turcica
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Asilidae Tipulidae
Size 12-18 mm 12-18 mm body length
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Wetlands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America Scandinavia, Finland, northern Russia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Subarctic Crane Fly

A medium-sized crane fly with distinctive patterned wings and long, slender legs. Larvae develop in wet peatland soils. Adults are poor fliers and often rest on low vegetation in sheltered spots.

💡

Did You Know?

The larvae of this crane fly can survive in waterlogged, low-oxygen peat soil by breathing through specialized anal papillae.