Soldier flies (Stratiomyidae) - 139 Species, Identification & Facts

Murky-legged Black Legionnaire

Beris chalybata

5-6mm. Males and females are noticeably different. Beris , as a genus, can generally be recognised by having 6 spines projecting from the scutellum (Four spines in Choriceps , however occasionally variants can have 5). Males (eyes touching) have a da

Scarce Orange Legionnaire

Beris clavipes

The scarcer of the two Beris species with a black thorax and orange abdomen. Easily separable from the other (B. vallata) by the entirely (or almost entirely) orange hind tibiae. The female also has much darker wings than vallata, and these can obscu

Short-horned Black Legionnaire

Beris fuscipes

Quite similar to some other Beris species, but can be identified with care. This species has very short antennae. For more details see the 'Further Information' link below. Good close up photographs required, and detailed examination may be necessary

Long-horned Black Legionnaire

Beris geniculata

Like all flies in the Beris genus, this species has six spines at the base of the scutellum. B. geniculata has a black, or dark, abdomen and dark legs with yellow 'knees'. There are 6 British species in the Beris genus and these can usually be distin

Common Orange Legionnaire

Beris vallata

Length 5-6 mm. The Beris genus is typified by having six spines along the base of the scutellum. B. vallata has a mainly orange abdomen. The male's wings are dark but the female's are fairly clear. This species can be distinguished from the similar B

Broad Centurion

Chloromyia formosa

9 mm. This is attractive soldier fly has sexes that are very different in appearance. Both have a shiny green thorax but the female has a blue-green abdomen, sometimes with a violet sheen, and the male has a bronze abdomen. The eyes are covered in de

Dull Four-spined Legionnaire

Chorisops tibialis

Size 3 to 4 mm. A small, slender fly with a metallic green thorax, and black and tan banded legs. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID features then in the comments box describe the size

Hermetia sexmaculata

Identification: The eyes are bare, the integument of the abdomen is wholly black dorsally in the male with at most a pair of small yellow spots in the female, femora and tibiae are mostly black, and the area including the calypters (squamae) is white

Sugarcane Soldier Fly

Inopus rubriceps

An Australian fly accidentally introduced into the USA (California) over 50 years ago. It was first found in San Francisco, and from there has slowly spread to adjacent counties in the SF Bay area -- where it seems to be restricted to today. This fly

Green Gem

Microchrysa flavicornis

Length 3 to 5 mm. This is a small soldier fly usually has a brilliant green abdomen and thorax with mainly yellow antennae. M. polita - abdomen darker (blackish green) and all-black antennae. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is requi

Microchrysa flaviventris

Identification: Abdomen yellow in males, metallic green in females (and in both sexes of other US congeners). The wing cell d is half open (closed in flavicornis ). (Based on Martin Hauser's comments) first record in our area: VA 2007

Nemotelus kansensis

Identification: Det. Norm Woodley, 2010 Females have white triangular markings on the abdomen. Males have white abdomens.

All-black Snout

Nemotelus nigrinus

This is a mainly black soldierfly with a long black beak like snout. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID features then in the comments box describe the size and identifying characters yo

Barred Snout

Nemotelus uliginosus

This is a cream and black patterned soldier fly, the males have more of the creamy colour on the abdomen than the females. Females of the species can be distinguished from the similar Nemotelus notatus female by the shape of the white bars on the fro

Silver Colonel

Odontomyia argentata

A mostly dark Odontomyia with small orange markings at the side margins of the tergites. Males are instantly recogniseable due to the silvery tergites (angle of view can affect how obvious these are). Females are more uniformly darkened and resemble

Odontomyia hirtocculata

Identification: eyes covered with conspicuous pile (bare in other Odontomyia spp.); specimens with abraded eye hair may be misidentifined as arcuata

Odontomyia ornata

A large (up to 15mm) bee or wasp-mimicking fly. The tergites (the plates on its upper abdomen) are primarily black but feature striking orange or bright yellow markings along the lateral margins. An indicator of healthy, high-quality wetland ecosyste

Black Colonel

Odontomyia tigrina

Odontomyia tigrina is a medium-sized soldierfly with a black body. (see 'Further Information' link below) Usually associated with coastal marsh areas, but occasionally recorded further inland near wet areas, ditches etc. Widespread but local in Engla

Common Green Colonel

Oplodontha viridula

The Soldier Fly Oplodontha viridula is a variable species, but can often be quite striking in appearance. The colour of the abdomen may vary from lime green to white or orange, but always with a broad black central band. Unless identified by a recogn

Four-barred Major

Oxycera rara

Body length 7mm. This is a beautiful little yellow and black soldier fly, and although small it is one of the largest of the eleven species in the genus. This species differs in being entirely black on the second tergite. Unless identified by a recog

Dark-winged Black

Pachygaster atra

One of our five pachygasterine soldierflies - small, black, dumpy species with mouth edge not produced (in contrast to similar looking Nemotelus like N. nigrinus ). This is one of only two pachygasterines with the wings darkened at the base. It can b

Pachygaster leachii

A soldier fly with a small, black, rounded abdomen, clear wings, femora mainly yellow and bases of the antennae are orange. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID features then in the comme

Ptecticus sackenii

Identification: See comments on images here, and original description (Williston, 1885): (female) Length 11 mm. Front narrow, shining black, the lower part and the face yellowish white. Thorax yellow, the dorsum with three broad, more brownish, strip

Twin-spot Centurion

Sargus bipunctatus

This is our largest Sargus (wing length to 10mm). Thorax shiny metallic green, scutellum without spines, veins in the wing quite distinct. The male and female of this species differ considerably in appearance, males are very slim with a metallic gree

Sargus fasciatus

Identification: the only Sargus with a constricted waist in male (Martin Hauser, pers.comm. to =v= 26.v.2026)

Yellow-legged Centurion

Sargus flavipes

Body length: 7-9 mm. Most specimens have yellow legs, though some are darker. It is smaller than S. bipunctatus , the only other similar species with yellow legs. Males have a green abdomen and thorax, whilst females have a black abdomen often with s

Iridescent centurion

Sargus iridatus

Length 6 to 12 mm. The sexes of this soldier fly are similar in appearance, but the female is slightly broader at the hind end. The body is an iridescent deep blue and the wings are uniformly smoky. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo i

Banded General

Stratiomys potamida

Soldierflies get their name from their bold and bright colours and markings. This is a particularly striking example - looking like a very flat wasp. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required. If the photo doesn't show the key ID