Rhagio scolopaceus

Common snipe fly ( Rhagio scolopaceus ) ♂

The common snipe fly ( Rhagio scolopaceus ) is a species of the family within the order of snipe flies (Diptera ).

Features

The species reaches a body length of 8 to 14 mm. The slim and long-legged flies have a short and strong proboscis which is used for food consumption. The face is gray with protruding hairless eye at the back of the head end of white hair. The thorax is gray with three dark gray located on the back stripes. The scutellum and the chitinous plates on the sides, and the belly side, are gray with black short hair on the center chest. The abdomen is reddish yellow, mittelagig covered with triangular black spots on the flanks with black side patches. The legs are yellow, and the feet are more brown. The wings are mottled brown.

Occurrence and habitat

The flight time is from May to September. The flies are found quite common especially in forests and on forest edges and often sit with splayed legs and a raised front body on tree trunks or dead wood. In most cases, the head facing down. From this position, they pounce on prey flying past, such as small flies. They feed mostly on small insects.

Larval development

The females lay their eggs singly mostly on the ground, manure or rotten wood. The cylindrical larvae have an incomplete head capsule and mouth hooks, which are formed from the mandibles and maxillae. The body is provided with weak Kriechwülsten. They live on and in the soil, among moss, leaf litter and manure but also under bark. They feed mostly on small insects and earthworms. The dolls of Schnepf flies live in the soil. Hibernation takes place mostly as a larva.