Common Red-legged Robberfly vs Isabelle's Serotine

Dioctria rufipes compared with Eptesicus isabellinus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Red-legged Robberfly	Isabelle's Serotine
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Diptera (雙翅目)	Chiroptera (翼手目)
Family	Asilidae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Dioctria	Eptesicus
Species	Dioctria rufipes	Eptesicus isabellinus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Red-legged Robberfly and Isabelle's Serotine share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

Conservation Status

Common Red-legged Robberfly

LC — Least Concern

Isabelle's Serotine

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Red-legged Robberfly	Isabelle's Serotine
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.

Isabelle's Serotine

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.