Robber Flie

Robber Flies 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. Scientific name: Asilidae Rank: Family Family: Asilidae; Latreille, 1802 Order: Diptera Suborder: Brachycera Life span; 1-3 years The life cycle of a robber fly can take 1-3 years. The high biodiversity and predatory activity of this group make them very important to ecological food webs. Diet; It appears that they eat anything that they can catch, for their prey species include flies, beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, lacewings, dragonflies, damselflies and mayflies. They also take other species of robber flies smaller than themselves. Reproduction; Female robber flies deposit whitish-colored eggs on low-lying plants and grasses, or in crevices within soil, bark, or wood. Egg-laying habits depend on the species and their specific habitat; most species lay their eggs in masses, which are then covered with a chalky protective coating. Size; Adults range in size from small (3 mm) to very large (over 50 mm), averaging 9 to 15 mm in length (Wood 1981). Robber flies have long, strong legs that are bristled to aid in prey capture. Information Resource: @Wikipedia