Rhagio lineola

Fabricius, 1794

Small Fleck-winged Snipefly

Rhagio lineola is a small snipefly in the , to the Palearctic region and to eastern North America. are 5.5–8 mm in length with distinctive and black coloration. The has a two-year with adults active from late May through September. Both adults and are predatory, contributing to of small in woodland .

Rhagio lineola by (c) Donald Hobern, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Rhagio lineola 64811462 by Sandy Rae. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Rhagio lineola 151322499 by Lars Willighagen. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Rhagio lineola: /ˈrægioʊ lɪˈniːələ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from the similar Rhagio notatus by smaller overall size and femoral bases (R. notatus has dark femoral bases). The combination of small body size (6 mm), yellow legs with dark femoral rings, yellow with grey base, and clear with black is diagnostic. Some in Ireland may show nearly obscured leg banding (var. monticola).

Images

Habitat

Deciduous forests, woodland, and hedgerows. often found on leaves of undergrowth and tree foliage. inhabit soil and rotting wood including dead birch logs and debris in tree cavities.

Distribution

to the Palearctic region with widespread occurrence across Europe, including Britain and Ireland. to the Nearctic region: first recorded in Canada (Ottawa) in 1946, now established in eastern coastal provinces of Canada and the northeastern United States.

Seasonality

active from late May (rarely early May) through September, with peak abundance from mid-June to mid-July. Extended season from May until October has been reported in some regions.

Diet

are predatory on small soft-bodied . are predatory, feeding on soil-dwelling .

Life Cycle

Two-year . live in soil and rotting wood (dead birch logs, tree cavity debris). occurs in spring. emerge in late May and persist through summer.

Behavior

frequently perch on leaves of undergrowth in woodland . Females construct subterranean nests in soil for .

Ecological Role

Predatory at both and larval stages, contributing to regulation of small in forest .

Human Relevance

Subject of sequencing as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project. Genome assembly of 1,654.96 Mb with 97.13% scaffolded into 5 chromosomal pseudomolecules.

Similar Taxa

Rhagio notatusSimilar size and appearance, but distinguished by larger body and dark femoral bases versus femoral bases in R. lineola

More Details

Genome sequencing

sequenced as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project: 1,654.96 Mb assembly with 97.13% scaffolded into 5 chromosomal pseudomolecules (4 + ). Mitochondrial genome: 16.64 kb. Specimen from Cothill Fen Nature Reserve, England.

Taxonomic variant

Variety monticola Verrall described from Irish specimens with darkened leg pattern nearly obscuring the typical and femoral banding.