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Insects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide.

All robber flies have stout, spiny legs, a dense moustache of bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. The antennae are short, 3-segmented, sometimes with a bristle-like structure called an arista.

The short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which paralyze and digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied meal through the proboscis. Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. Others are fat-bodied bumblebee mimics. Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, ants, dragon and damselflies, Ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders.

Gallery

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  Laphria sp. preys a ladybug

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  Stichopogon sp

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  Female

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  Male

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  Mating

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  With prey

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  Holcocephala fusca with prey

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  robberflies are insectivores

See also

• List of soldierflies and allies of Great Britain

References

Other references

• Geller-Grimm F (2003): Photographic atlas and identification key to the robber flies of Germany (Diptera: Asilidae), CD-ROM, Amphx-Verlag Halle (Saale). ISBN 3-932795-18-0
• Hull, Frank M. (1962). "Robber Flies of the World: The Genera of the Family Asilidae". Bulletin of the United States National Museum 224: 1–907. hdl:10088/10126. 
• Lavigne, Robert J. (2003). "Evolution of courtship behaviour among the Asilidae (Diptera), with a review of courtship and mating". Studia dipterologica 9 (2): 703–42. 
• Musso, Joseph-Jean (1978) (in French). Recherches sur le développement, la nutrition et l'écologie des Asilidae (Diptera - Brachycera) (PhD thesis). OCLC 30534417. 
• Oldroyd, Harold (1969). Tabanoidea and Asiloidea. Handbooks for the identification of British insects. Royal Entomological Society. OCLC 256410648. 
• Papavero, N (1973). "Studies of Asilidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution: I. A preliminary classification in subfamilies". Arquivos de Zoologia 23 (3): 217–74. http://www.revistasusp.sibi.usp.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066-78701973000100001&lng=pt. 
• Wood, Grace C (1981). "Asilidae". In McAlpine JF, Peterson BV, Shewell GE, Teskey HJ, Vockeroth JR, Wood DM. Manual of Nearctic Diptera. 1. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services (Canada). pp. 549–73. ISBN 0-660-10731-7. http://www.esc-sec.ca/aafcmonographs/manual_of_nearctic_diptera_vol_1.pdf.