Sargus iridatus, the iridescent centurion, is a European species of soldier fly.
Description The body length is 6.0 to 11.0 mm. Like Sargus cuprarius, it is almost entirely purple. It has black antennae, the third segment of the antenna in males being shorter than the second. It has a whitish proboscis; the face and frons are metallic green. There are two clearly delineated white spots at the base of the antennae better developed in females. The thorax has blue reflections. It has black legs, with knees barely paler. The wings are uniformly smoky. It has dirty yellowish halteres. The abdomen is less violet, with black sternites.Seguy. E. Faune de France Faune n° 13 1926. Diptères Brachycères.308 p., 685 fig.George Henry VerrallStratiomyidae and succeeding families of the Diptera Brachycera of Great Britain- British flies (1909) BHL Full text with illustrationsE. P. Narchuk in Bei-Bienko, G. Ya, 1988 Keys to the insects of the European Part of the USSR Volume 5 (Diptera) Part 2 English edition. Keys to Palaearctic species but now needs revision. William Lundbeck Diptera Danica. Genera and species of flies Hitherto found in Denmark. Copenhagen & London, 1902-1927. 7 vols
Biology It is found in open and wooded habitats. Larval habitats are in dung, decomposing vegetable matter and compost.
Distribution Its distribution covers western Europe, northern, and southern Europe, north up to Finland and European Russia.
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