Asilidae

Asilidae
Temporal range:
Fan-bristled robber fly (Dysmachus trigonus) with honeybee prey
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Infraorder: Asilomorpha
Superfamily: Asiloidea
Family: Asilidae
Latreille, 1802
Subfamilies
  • Asilinae
  • Bathypogoninae
  • Brachyrhopalinae
  • Dasypogoninae
  • Dioctriinae
  • Laphriinae
  • Leptogastrinae
  • Ommatiinae
  • Phellinae
  • Stenopogoninae
  • Stichopogoninae
  • Tillobromatinae
  • Trigonomiminae
  • Willistonininae

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 expert predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and, as a rule, they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.

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