| Robber flies (Asilidae sp. (Latreille, 1802)) |
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Scientific name: Asilidae sp. (Latreille, 1802) Common name: Robber flies Other names: Assassin flies French name: Asilidés, Mouches à moustaches. Order: Diptera Family: Asilidae Wingspan : Body size varies from 3 mm to over 50 mm depending on the species but is generally in the order of 10 to 15 mm. Females are generally larger than males. Biotope: Open habitats, generally dry and sunny. Geographic area: All continents except Antarctica. There are more than 7500 species described worldwide and about 200 in France. Observation period : |
Robber flies are predators of other insects, usually captured in flight. They have a short, stiff, forward-pointing proboscis used to sting prey in flight, inject them with paralyzing saliva, and then suck up their contents when they return to a perch. The head bears large, prominent compound eyes separated by the vertex which appears in a depression. The lower part of the face has a large moustache located just above the proboscis. The spiny legs are adapted for capturing preys. The larvae feed on decaying matter. |
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The photographer preferred to take a close-up, face-on shot to the detriment of the naturalist who would have preferred a wider view which might have allowed the species to be identified. You can clearly see the rigid proboscis pointing forward, the large moustache and the depression of the vertex between the two eyes which are characteristic of the family. |
André Bon January 2025