Yellow-legged Dance Fly vs Gulf Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-legged Dance Fly Gulf Fritillary
Scientific Name Empis livida Dione vanillae
Order Diptera Lepidoptera
Family Empididae Nymphalidae
Size 7-10 mm 60-95 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe North America, Central America, South America
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.

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Did You Know?

In some dance fly species, males wrap worthless objects in silk to trick females into mating, a form of sexual deception.

Gulf Fritillary

Bright orange wings with black markings above and elongated silver spots below. Despite its name, it belongs to the passion-vine butterfly subfamily.

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Did You Know?

Caterpillars are bright orange with black spines to warn predators of chemicals from passion vines.