DESCRIPTION:  Length up to 9mm. One of several similar Dagger-Flies with the male's having a  brownish abdomen and faintly brown and clouded wings. The female's abdomen is grey and the wings are clear. The brown thorax of both sexes sports three stripes and the legs are orange. BEHAVIOUR: Adults feed on nectar and other insects. The larvae are carnivorous and live in damp soil and leaf litter. DISTRIBUTION: A common enough species in England and Wales but becoming less frequent towards the North.  HABITAT: A real lover of hedgerows and woodland edges as well as flower rich areas. PERIOD: Adults seen from April to June.