Bug FAQClouded Centurion Fly
Sargus cuprarius · Order: Diptera · Family: Stratiomyidae
Also called: Soldier fly, Clouded Centurion
The clouded centurion fly is a small soldier fly, 6 to 12 mm long, with metallic green-blue thorax and copper abdomen. It lives in open, wooded and humid areas from June onward and is found across western Europe, North America, and parts of Russia and Central Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its eyes are green with a purple horizontal line and a dark or violet upper edge. The thorax shines metallic green-blue and is covered in fine yellow hairs; males have whitish hairs. The wings show distinct darker spots below the stigma. The abdomen is copper-colored, darker than the thorax, ending in purple or violet in males and violet with a copper base in females.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 6 and 12 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits open, wooded and humid places, appearing from June onward.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae develop in decaying vegetable material.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are found from June in suitable habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are active from June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to western Europe and also occurs in North America. Its range extends through Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asian mountains, and Mongolia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Utah, Montana, Washington, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I identify a clouded centurion fly?
Look for green eyes with a purple transverse line, a metallic green-blue thorax covered in fine yellow hairs, darker wing spots below the stigma, and a copper abdomen that ends in purple or violet.
Source: Wikipedia
When are clouded centurion flies most likely to be seen?
Adults appear from June onward in open, wooded and humid environments.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Stratiomyidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargus_cuprarius
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.