Long-legged Fly

Last week I got an ID for one of my older pictures, this one is a species of long-legged flies in the complex Condylostylus sipho. If you like shiny things, these flies fill the bill.

A complex is a term used when there are 2 or more very similar and closely related species that are extremely difficult to differentiate. In this case there are considered to be 6 species in this complex, and they're all fairly small, metallic-green flies. None of the species has a common name, though the family, dolichopodidae, are referred to as Long-legged Flies [1].

Though other flies like mosquitoes have long legs, mosquitoes are in a different family. While the Long-legged Flies are considered predatory, their choice of prey is to feed off various invertebrates (including in some cases mosquito larvae). The lesson: Not all flies with long legs are going to bother you.

June 5, 2019 at Murray Hill
Photo 44124004, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Note that there are lots of other Long-legged Flies outside the Condylostylus sipho complex. The family consists of over 7000 species.

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