DipteraDiptera Index Drone Flies and Hover Flies Flies Pollinators and Flies The Eyes of Flies Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) Australian Drain Fly Bat Flies Bee Flies Bee Flies Index Anthrax (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria Balaana Beefly Cryomyia sp Ligyra Neosardus cosmus Chrysomya saffranea Clogmia (Moth Fly) Eristalinus punctulatus Miltinus stenogaster Musca Odontomyia (Soldier Flies) Odontomyia Index Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) Physiphora alceae Physocephala australiana Robber Flies Sarcophaga aurifrons Soldier Fly Syrphidae Syrphids Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps) Yellow-shouldered Stout Hover Fly (Simosyrphus grandicornis) Therevidae

The Robber Fly, belong to a group of flies in the family Asilidae (order Diptera). Also known as Assassin Flies, the Robber Flies are a group of powerfully built and bristly looking flies. This group of flies have a short stout proboscis that encloce a sharp, sucking hypopharynx (a pointy knifelike proboscis for injecting saliva into the prey).

Robber Flies and Assasin Flies reflect their predatory habits of waiting in ambush and catching their prey in flight.

Robber Fly (genus Bathypogon, family Asilidae), Alice Springs NT
Robber Fly (genus Bathypogon, family Asilidae), Alice Springs NT
Spine-legged Robber Fly (Thereutria amaraca), Eurobodalla National Park NSW © Phil Warburton
Spine-legged Robber Fly (Thereutria amaraca), Eurobodalla National Park NSW © Phil Warburton

This page is a work in progress…

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Diptera
  • Suborders: Brachycera
  • Informal: Orthorrhapha
  • Superfamily: Asiloidea
  • Family: Asilidae
  • Subfamily:
    • Asilinae
    • Bathypogoninae
    • Brachyrhopalinae
    • Dasypogoninae
    • Dioctriinae
    • Laphriinae
    • Leptogastrinae
    • Ommatiinae
    • Phellinae
    • Stenopogoninae
    • Stichopogoninae
    • Trigonomiminae

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs © Stefan Jones
  2. ASILIDAE Latreille, 1802, Robber Flies, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/ASILIDAE
  3. Robber Flies (Family Asilidae, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47982-Asilidae

DipteraDiptera Index Drone Flies and Hover Flies Flies Pollinators and Flies The Eyes of Flies Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) Australian Drain Fly Bat Flies Bee Flies Bee Flies Index Anthrax (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria Balaana Beefly Cryomyia sp Ligyra Neosardus cosmus Chrysomya saffranea Clogmia (Moth Fly) Eristalinus punctulatus Miltinus stenogaster Musca Odontomyia (Soldier Flies) Odontomyia Index Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) Physiphora alceae Physocephala australiana Robber Flies Sarcophaga aurifrons Soldier Fly Syrphidae Syrphids Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps) Yellow-shouldered Stout Hover Fly (Simosyrphus grandicornis) Therevidae

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub