Bug FAQLotophila atra
Lotophila atra · Order: Diptera · Family: Sphaeroceridae
The larvae develop in moist, decaying organic material where they feed on microorganisms. Lotophila atra is native to the Palearctic region.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on microorganisms found in those moist, decaying substrates.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
This species occurs throughout the Palearctic.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Vermont, Maryland, Montana.
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
What kind of places do the larvae live in?
They develop in moist, decaying organic material.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotophila_atra
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.