Antlered flutter fly

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Antlered flutter fly is a widely distributed but rare fly. It occurs in the United States from Maine to Minnesota south to Georgia and Nebraska, and in southern Canada from Nova Scotia to Alberta. Adults are found on flowers and on low branches of trees and shrubs. Larvae may feed on plant material, or they may prey on the larvae of bark beetles, or both.

Adults are yellowish-brown and ⅛″ to ¼″ (3 to 6 mm) in length.

The head is rounded in profile. There are two large compound eyes, one on each side of the head, and three simple eyes (ocelli) in a small triangle on top of the head. The compound eyes are round. The collection of protruding mouthparts (proboscis) is short. The third segment of each antenna is oval.

The upper part of the thorax is yellowish-brown. There are two indistinct, slightly paler, stripes, and two parallel rows of black bristles. Each abdominal segment has a row of large black bristles near the rear margin. There is a small but distinct black spot at the base of each bristle.

The wings are clear with dark brown markings. There is a broad, dark brown band on the leading edge (costal margin) extending around the wingtip. The band has a small bump on the inner side about one third of the distance to the wingtip. There is also a large spot half way to the wingtip extending from the band to the inner margin. The wing pattern resembles a deer’s antlers to imaginative minds. The subcostal vein (Sc) is complete. The costal vein is broken near the end of the Sc. The anal cell is rounded at the end.

The legs are light yellow. The fourth leg segment (tibia) does not have bristles near the tip.

Size

Total length: ⅛″ to ¼″ (3 to 6 mm)

Similar Species

Habitat

Moist, shady places

Ecology

Season

June to September

Behavior

Males extend and vibrate their wings, a behavior that gives the family Pallopteridae its common name.

Life Cycle

Larva Food/Hosts

Plant material or larvae of bark beetles or both

Adult Food

Distribution

Sources

24, 30, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 4/3/2026).

Toxonevra superba (Loew, 1861) in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 4/3/2026.