Common Red-legged Robberfly vs Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew

Dioctria rufipes compared with Cryptotis equatoris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Red-legged Robberfly	Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Asilidae	Soricidae
Genus	Dioctria	Cryptotis
Species	Dioctria rufipes	Cryptotis equatoris

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Red-legged Robberfly and Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Red-legged Robberfly

LC — Least Concern

Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Red-legged Robberfly	Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Red-legged Robberfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Common Red-legged Robberfly

<em>Dioctria rufipes</em>, the common red-legged robberfly, is a predatory fly in the family Asilidae, order Diptera. It is distributed across northwestern Europe, with confirmed records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, typically favoring woodland edges, hedgerows, and meadows with abundant vegetation. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations across its European range. Robberflies in the genus Dioctria are slender, elongated flies characterized by a distinctive long proboscis used to inject paralyzing saliva into prey. <em>Dioctria rufipes</em> typically hunts smaller flying insects, including midges, small flies, and other soft-bodied arthropods, ambushing prey from resting perches on vegetation and capturing it mid-flight. Adults are typically active from late spring to early autumn, coinciding with peak insect activity. The red or reddish-orange coloration of the hind femora is the diagnostic feature that gives this species its common name. Larvae develop in soil or decaying wood, where they are believed to be predatory on other invertebrate larvae. Biological traits such as precise lifespan, body measurements, and diet composition remain poorly documented in quantitative studies. The species is considered an important component of invertebrate predator guilds in European agricultural landscapes.