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Common Snakefly

Scientific Name:

Agulla (taxonomic genus)

Type:

Invertebrate

Habitat:

Forests, mountains, deserts, and shrublands

Range:

Western North America

Status:

No listed status

This species is

NATIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

Snakeflies are a group of almost 200 species of insects in the order Raphidioptera best recognized by their small heads and long, slender "necks", which are actually elongated parts of their thoraxes. Common snakeflies are those snakeflies which belong to the Agulla genus, of which there are around 20 species. Common snakeflies range in size from 0.5 to 1 inch long and are generally red, yellow, or brown in color. These insects have very long, transparent wings with noticeable black veins.

Fast Facts:

  • Female common snakeflies have a long, needle-like protrusion coming from their rears. While this looks like a stinger, it isn't; the females will use these features to deposit their eggs into crevices in tree bark or dirt.

  • Common snakeflies are often considered helpful around gardens and agriculture. By living in tree bark and dirt, snakeflies eat grubs that can often plant roots.

  • Common snakeflies will molt over 10 times as they mature from larvae into adults.

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Jill Katz (research, content, & photo)

Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

April 19, 2021 at 6:35:44 PM

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