Snakefly
Raphidia ophiopsis
11 mmAdult female
Body length
Body length
od przodu głowy do końca odwłoka · bez nóg, czułków, skrzydeł i pokładełkaMeasurement: side
Snakefly — size comparison
The snakefly Raphidia ophiopsis has a slender body and a long prothorax that positions its mobile head well ahead of the rest of its outline. It occurs in fores
Silhouette comparison
Length
od przodu głowy do końca odwłoka · bez nóg, czułków, skrzydeł i pokładełkaScale for the stated dimensions · each animal is labelled
Measurement comparisonScale in cm
0246810
11 mm
8.56 cm
The scale compares the named dimensions. View direction and measurement points are given for each animal.
Snakefly — size comparison — facts and sources
The snakefly Raphidia ophiopsis has a slender body and a long prothorax that positions its mobile head well ahead of the rest of its outline. It occurs in forests, thickets and clearings, using plants as hunting sites.
Adults catch small, soft-bodied insects, including aphids. This inconspicuous hunter may move over twigs and leaves, then rapidly turn its head towards prey.
The female uses a long ovipositor to lay eggs in sheltered places. The larvae are also predatory and develop in hiding. Details of wing venation and small cells near the front of the wings matter in distinguishing similar snakeflies.