Common Orange Legionnaire vs Short-horned Black Legionnaire

Beris vallata compared with Beris fuscipes

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Orange Legionnaire	Short-horned Black Legionnaire
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (artrópodos)	Arthropoda (artrópodos)
Class same	Insecta (insecto)	Insecta (insecto)
Order same	Diptera (Diptera)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family same	Stratiomyidae	Stratiomyidae
Genus same	Beris	Beris
Species	Beris vallata	Beris fuscipes

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Orange Legionnaire and Short-horned Black Legionnaire share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Beris.

Conservation Status

Common Orange Legionnaire

NT — Near Threatened

Short-horned Black Legionnaire

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Orange Legionnaire	Short-horned Black Legionnaire
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Orange Legionnaire

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Short-horned Black Legionnaire

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Orange Legionnaire

<em>Beris vallata</em> is a soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae, known from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in northern Europe. The species inhabits a broad range of terrestrial and freshwater environments, including woodland edges, hedgerows, stream margins, and moist meadows where decaying organic matter supports larval development. Larvae of Beris species typically develop in rotting wood, leaf litter, damp soil, or organic debris, while adults are often found visiting flowers for nectar and pollen. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened, indicating that it faces meaningful risk factors that could elevate its status if current trends continue. Pressures likely include habitat degradation, loss of traditional woodland management practices, and the decline of dead wood microhabitats essential for larval stages. The species has a restricted distribution confined to northern European countries and may be sensitive to changes in woodland structure and composition. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, body weight, and detailed dietary studies remain poorly documented in standardized ecological databases for this dipteran species. Continued monitoring of woodland habitats across its range is important for its long-term conservation.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden