Common Red-legged Robberfly
Dioctria rufipes
Description
Body length 7.5 - 9mm. This species is mostly black with the front two pairs of legs red.
Habitat
Woodland edge, hedgerows and grasslands. The adults sit on foliage waiting for prey to come within reach. The adults feed on flying insects and are thought to specialise in ichneumonid species, although the pictures below show hoverflies as the prey (Tropidia scita and Pipizella viduata) as well as a small parasitic wasp. It is not known with certainty what the larvae feed on but they are found in the soil.
Status and distribution
Common and widespread in the southern half of Britain. Much less common in the north. Fairly common in Nottinghamshire and at Netherfield Lagoons.
Best time to see
May to August.
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - male - June 18th 2015
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - male - June 18th 2015
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - female - June 4th 2012
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 11th - 2017
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - female with prey - Tropidia scita - June 1st 2012
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - female with prey - Tropidia scita - June 1st 2012
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 15th 2016
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 15th 2016
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 3rd 2019
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 3rd 2019
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Common Red-legged Robberfly - Dioctria rufipes - Female - June 3rd 2019