Yellow-legged Dance Fly vs Common Mormon
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Yellow-legged Dance Fly | Common Mormon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Empis livida | Papilio polytes |
| Order | Diptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Empididae | Papilionidae |
| Size | 7-10 mm | 90-100 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Heathland |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Europe | South Asia, Southeast Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yellow-legged Dance Fly
A medium-sized dance fly with yellowish legs, a grayish body, and a distinctive long proboscis. It forms conspicuous mating swarms near streams and in sheltered clearings.
Did You Know?
In some dance fly species, males wrap worthless objects in silk to trick females into mating, a form of sexual deception.
Common Mormon
Males are plain black with a cream band; females occur in multiple forms mimicking different toxic species. A textbook example of female-limited polymorphism.
Did You Know?
A single gene called doublesex controls the switch between its mimetic female forms.