This is an attractive fly with a metallic green thorax. The male has conspicuous white wing tips and is easy to identify, the female lacks these white wing tips and looks very similar to many others in the genus. The acrostichal bristles on the thorax are short and in two rows. The first antennal segment has hairs on the dorsal surface.

Male , Female

• metallic green body
• red/yellow legs
• 2 rows of acrostichal bristles
• a dark patch on the notopleural area of the thorax
• dark hairs on top of the first antennal segment
• all black antennae
• arista hair length 1.5x the diameter of the arista base
• males with white wing tips

It lives in damp places with lush vegetation and is often seen resting on mud or on the water surface.

May to August.

A mating dance precedes copulation.

Common and widespread in England and Wales, fewer records from Scotland.

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland