Summary ²

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. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and as a rule they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Arthur Chapman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/32005048@N06/3273014475
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asilidae

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Field/Photo ID for Flies
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Robber Flies of the World
• Systema Dipterorum

iNat Map