Spring Firefly vs Snail-killing Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spring Firefly Snail-killing Fly
Scientific Name Photinus ardens Tetanocera elata
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Lampyridae Sciomyzidae
Size 5-8 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Wetlands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spring Firefly

A small early-season firefly of the eastern United States with a distinctive fast double-pulse flash pattern. It has a dark body with a pinkish-red pronotum and is among the first fireflies to appear each year.

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Did You Know?

This species often begins flashing earlier in the evening than most other North American fireflies.

Snail-killing Fly

A wetland fly whose larvae are specialized predators or parasitoids of land snails. It has been investigated as a biocontrol agent for pest snails.

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Did You Know?

Larvae enter the snail's shell and consume it alive over several days.