Rhagio immaculatus
Local name: gul snäppfluga
Rhagio immaculatus is a distinctive snipe fly species characterized by its relatively large size and predatory behavior as an adult, typically ambushing smaller insects from perched positions on vegetation or surfaces. This dipteran species plays an important ecological role as both predator and prey, helping to control populations of smaller flying insects while serving as food for birds, spiders, and other arthropod predators.
14
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Diptera
Family
Rhagionidae
Genus
Rhagio
Rhagio immaculatus belongs to the family Rhagionidae, order Diptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Rhagio immaculatus is a distinctive snipe fly species characterized by its relatively large size and predatory behavior as an adult, typically ambushing smaller insects from perched positions on vegetation or surfaces. This dipteran species plays an important ecological role as both predator and prey, helping to control populations of smaller flying insects while serving as food for birds, spiders, and other arthropod predators. The larvae are soil-dwelling predators that contribute to nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
Rhagio immaculatus, the gul snäppfluga, faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized wetland environments. The species is particularly vulnerable to changes in water quality and hydrological patterns that affect its breeding sites and prey availability.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Rhagio immaculatus typically inhabits woodland edges, forest clearings, and semi-natural grasslands with adequate moisture levels and organic soil layers suitable for larval development. Adults are commonly found in areas with mixed vegetation structure that provides both hunting perches and shelter, including hedgerows, parklands, and gardens with mature trees and shrubs.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Rhagio immaculatus, the gul snäppfluga, faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized wetland environments. The species is particularly vulnerable to changes in water quality and hydrological patterns that affect its breeding sites and prey availability.
Water pollution and eutrophication
Wetland habitat destruction and drainage
Agricultural intensification in surrounding areas
Climate change altering hydrological cycles
Found in 14 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Rhagio immaculatus (Rhagio immaculatus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/gul-snappfluga