Common Drone Fly vs Common Least Skipper

Eristalis tenax compared with Ancyloxypha numitor

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Drone Fly	Common Least Skipper
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Syrphidae	Hesperiidae
Genus	Eristalis	Ancyloxypha
Species	Eristalis tenax	Ancyloxypha numitor

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Drone Fly and Common Least Skipper share a common ancestor at the Class level: Insecta. (Insects)

Conservation Status

Common Drone Fly

LC — Least Concern

Common Least Skipper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Drone Fly	Common Least Skipper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Drone Fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Chile).

Common Least Skipper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Common Drone Fly

<em>Eristalis tenax</em>, the common drone fly, is a hoverfly in the family Syrphidae with a broad global distribution spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, including records from South Africa, five European countries, the United States, and Chile. This species typically inhabits a wide variety of terrestrial and freshwater habitats, from urban gardens and agricultural landscapes to woodland edges and wetlands. The common drone fly is one of the most effective mimics of the honey bee, a resemblance that offers protection from predators. Adults are frequently observed visiting flowers to feed on nectar and pollen, making them important pollinators in many ecosystems. Larvae, known as rat-tailed maggots, are aquatic and typically develop in stagnant, organically enriched water bodies such as sewage drains, manure pools, and polluted ponds, where they breathe through an elongated, tube-like siphon. <em>Eristalis tenax</em> is assessed as Least Concern, with stable and widespread populations. It is regarded as both an ecological indicator species and a valuable contributor to pollination services.

Common Least Skipper

The Common Least Skipper (<em>Ancyloxypha numitor</em>) is a small butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Canada and the United States, where it typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, showing a particular affinity for moist, grassy areas near water. The species is among the smallest skippers in North America, characterized by orange and brown wing coloration and a rapid, low-flying flight pattern close to vegetation. Adults typically nectar on small flowers while larvae feed on grasses, particularly those in wet meadows, marshes, stream margins, and disturbed grassy areas. The Common Least Skipper is frequently observed in wetland margins, wet prairies, and roadsides with rank grass growth. Its wide distribution across North America and habitat generalism across moist grassland and wetland types support its stable population and Least Concern conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States