The yellowish smoky wings are 5.2 to 6.8 mm long and have fuzzy spots on the front half.

The lower surfaces of the hind femora are equipped with setae, while the front pair lacks them.The abdomen is rufous.For terms see Morphology of Diptera.

[3] [4] Larvae of E. cucularia are predators of aquatic, pulmonate snails in the families Lymnaeidae, Physidae, and Planorbidae.

[5] E. cucularia is a Palearctic insect , in Europe known from Portugal, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia .

Content in this edit is translated from the existing Polish Wikipedia article at pl:Elgiva cucularia; see its history for attribution