Window Fly vs Spotted Crane Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Window Fly Spotted Crane Fly
Scientific Name Scenopinus fenestralis Nephrotoma appendiculata
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Scenopinidae Tipulidae
Size 5-7 mm 15-25 mm body length
Habitat Indoors Meadows
Diet Predators Scavengers
Regions Worldwide Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Window Fly

A small shiny black fly often found on windowsills inside buildings. Its larvae are beneficial predators of carpet beetle and clothes moth larvae.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite being found indoors, it is actually beneficial because its larvae eat destructive carpet beetles.

Spotted Crane Fly

A brightly marked yellow-and-black crane fly common across European meadows. Its leatherjacket larvae develop in soil, feeding on plant roots and decaying matter.

💡

Did You Know?

Despite their wasp-like yellow-and-black markings, spotted crane flies are completely harmless and cannot sting.