Yellow-legged Dance Fly vs Elephant Stomach Bot Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-legged Dance Fly Elephant Stomach Bot Fly
Scientific Name Empis livida Cobboldia elephantis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Empididae Oestridae
Size 7-10 mm 14-18 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasites
Regions Europe South and 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.

Elephant Stomach Bot Fly

A rare bot fly whose larvae develop in the stomachs of Asian elephants. Females lay eggs around the mouth of the elephant, and larvae migrate to the stomach. It is one of only a few bot flies specialized on elephants, and its biology is poorly understood.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the largest and rarest bot flies, and wild specimens are extremely difficult to collect due to their association with elephants.