The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx.

Common Name: Robber Flies; General Category: Predator; Taxonomic Classification: Diptera: Asilidae; Scientific Name: Many species; Description. Because of their large size and loud buzz when flying, these generalist predators are often confused with horse flies and other biting flies.

Blepharotes coriarius, the giant yellow robber fly, is a species of large predatory fly from Australia in the family Asilidae (robber flies). It was described by the German naturalist Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann in 1830.

Common Name: Robber fly Scientific Name: Varies Order: Diptera. Description: Adult stages are medium to large (3/8 to 1-1/8 inch) flies often observed on stems of plants, on the ground or flying low. Species vary in appearance and some mimic wasps and bees.

Robber flies are distinctive, medium-sized to large, bristly or hairy flies. There are over 1,000 species of robber flies (family Asilidae) in North America; and nearly 100 have been recorded from the Upper Midwest.

Robber flies have long, strong legs that are bristled to aid in prey capture. Sexual dimorphisms are not extreme, although females tend to have slightly broader abdomens than males. Most robber flies have a brown, gray, or black coloration.

Sep 17, 2009 · It is not surprising that North America’s largest robber fly should be a species of Microstylum, as it is this same genus that contains the world’s largest robber fly – the aptly named M. magnum from Madagascar, with a body length of 60 mm and an almost preposterous wingspan of up to 84 mm (that’s over 3 inches folks!). I don’t know ...

Sep 3, 2023 · Robber Flies exhibit some fascinating characteristics, such as their strong, bristled legs which assist in capturing prey mid-air source. They have also developed impressive camouflage techniques, with some species mimicking bees or blending in with their surroundings to better ambush their prey.

Flies of the Family Asilidae are known as Robber Flies and are fierce predators. These flies most often capture their prey in flight and do not hesitate to attack butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, bees, nor wasps.

Jul 21, 2016 · Large robber flies with tiger-stripe pattern on abdomen Range worldwide, almost 3/4 of the spp. in the Old World tropics; in the New World, US to Chile ( P. dimidiatus ranges into Canada), in our area mostly western (just 3 spp. occur in the Atlantic states) ( 3 )