Asilidae - Citizendia

Asilidae

Robber Fly, Zosteria spec. feeding on a hoverfly

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Brachycera
Superfamily:	Asiloidea
Family:	Asilidae

Subfamilies

Apocleinae
Asilinae
Dasypogoninae
Laphriinae
Leptogastrinae
Ommatiinae
Stenopogoninae
Stichopogoninae
Trigonomiminae

Flies in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly known as robber flies. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of Brachycera is a suborder of Diptera. It is a major suborder consisting of around 120 families. Asiloidea is a very large cosmopolitan Superfamily of Diptera. Asilinae is a large subfamily of the family Asilidae. It includes over 100 genera True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of 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. An ocellus (plural ocelli) is a type of Photoreceptor organ in animals 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. In general a proboscis (from Greek προ pro "before" and βοσκειν boskein "to feed" also known as probiscus Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. The ovipositor is an organ used by some of the Animals for Oviposition, i Others are fat-bodied bumblebee mimics. A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the Bee Genus Bombus, in the family Apidae; there are over 250 known species primarily Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, dragon and damselflies, ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders.

The larvae are often found in decaying organic matter, such as dung heaps and rotting logs. Others species live in the soil. In most species the larvae are omnivorous.

Literature

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 FM (1962): Robber flies of the world. , Bulletin of the United States National Museum 224 (1, 2): 1-907; Washington.
Lavigne RJ (2003): Evolution of courtship behaviour among the Asilidae (Diptera), with a review of courtship and mating. Studia dipterologica 9(2)(2002): 703-742
Musso JJ (1978): Recherches sur le développement, la nutrition et l'écologie des Asilidae (Diptera - Brachycera), Aix-*Marseille: These université d'droit, d'èconomie et des sciences: 312 S.
Oldroyd H (1969): Tabanoidea and Asiloidea, Handb Ident British Insects 9(4). London
Papavero N (1973): Studies of Asilidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution. I. A preliminary classification in subfamilies. , Arquivos de Zoologia do Estado de São Paulo 23: 217-274; São Paulo.
Wood GC (1981): Asilidae, In: McAlpine JF, Peterson BV, Shewell GE, Teskey HJ, Vockeroth JR, Wood DM,(Hrsg. ): Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Volume 1. , Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Monographs 27: : 549-573; Ottawa.

External links

Photo gallery

Head of a large Efferia aestuans	Female Efferia aestuans	Robber fly	Neoitamus cyanurus
Choerades fimbriata	Dasypogon diadema	Robber fly resting.
Promachus vertebratus	Efferia aestuans, Albuquerque, NM	Damselfy Prey

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