Saturday, July 10, 2010

Robber Flies

Robber flies are conspicuous denizens of the desert southwest, but are common nearly everywhere. You might be seeing them yourself but simply not recognizing what they are. No wonder. Robber flies, also known as “assassin flies,” often resemble wasps or bees more than they do flies. They certainly bear little resemblance to house flies. They don’t carry diseases or bite people, either. Instead, they are swift predators of other insects.

There are nearly one thousand species of the family Asilidae in North America north of Mexico, but that doesn’t mean they have all been discovered yet. I helped discover a new species of Laphria myself, in a park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to my specimens, the species (still awaiting formal description) was known from only one other specimen collected in Pennsylvania.

Robber flies vary greatly in size (3-50 mm), shape, and color pattern. Some are robust bumble bee mimics. Others, like those in the subfamily Leptogastrinae, are slender and nearly invisible as they navigate through tall grasses.

There are some things to look for that are common to all robber flies, however. They have a deep, concave area between the eyes at the top of the head. This helps set them apart from similar flies like mydas flies (Mydidae) and dance flies (Empididae). Robber flies also often have a “bearded” face, with long hairs over their mouthparts. Even with the setae, the stout beak-like mouthparts are often visible.

Look for robber flies in a variety of habitats, from deserts to grasslands to forest openings with dappled sunlight. Robber flies like to perch on the ground, rocks, logs, tree trunks, or foliage where they have a great vantage point to scan the landscape and the sky above them.

Watch one on the tip of a twig or a leaf as it cocks its head toward insects passing overhead. The fly may leave its perch abruptly, but you should stay put. It may well return with a victim to dine on. Asilids are able to intercept flying insects in mid-air, much like a flycatcher bird does. Some species seem to have their food preferences, but most are generalists. Very large robber flies can kill insects as large as adult grasshoppers, or even dragonflies.

Members of the genus Diogmites are known as “hanging thieves” for their habit of swinging from the front or middle pair of legs while manipulating prey with the remaining two pairs, as the one above is doing with a skipperling it caught.

The bite of robber flies is administered with that beak, driven into joints in the exoskeleton of the prey insect. The “necks” of insects are especially vulnerable, and flying beetles are impaled while their elytra are open, exposing chinks in their armor. Paralytic compounds and digestive enzymes are likely injected during the bite as victims cease struggling almost immediately. The fly then withdraws the liquefied internal tissues of its meal.

As easily as adult robber flies are observed, the corresponding larval stage remains quite a mystery. Those species that have been reared are known to be external parasites of beetle grubs, or other insect larvae.

Before you set out into the field to find robber flies, it might help to become familiar with all the different genera you are likely to encounter. Remember that they often resemble insects other than flies. A good place to start learning is the image gallery at BugGuide.net. Click the “images” or “browse” tab near the top of the page to get more images. Another outstanding internet resource is the robber fly site built by Herschel Raney, an extraordinary nature photographer and self-taught expert on asilids. Three individuals are webmasters for a global robber fly website.

As the popularity of these amazing insects continues to grow, no doubt more resources will be created. For those who prefer printed to electronic references, my Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America includes two plates devoted to robber flies, with complementary text on the opposite pages.

Stop, listen (for a loud, droning buzz that stops abruptly) and look (carefully, for despite their size robber flies can be rather cryptic) for these winged wonders of the insect world. You will not be disappointed that you did.

22 comments:

  1. Wow, that's an awesome series of shots. It's been fun watching your photography come together over the past couple months.

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  2. Thank you much, Alex. The specimens above were imaged in three states: Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas.

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  3. It's amazing how different the various species look from one another.

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  4. Beautiful images Eric. I especially like the first and last images. Those are gorgeous flies. Thanks for all the valuable info as well.

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  5. Great and exhaustive post. one of my favorite insect.

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  6. This is a very nice and informative essay about the Robber Fly. I have seen these rascals for years and never thought much about them...now, I'll watch more carefully and take the grand kids on a fly hunt.

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  7. Nice site, MObugs recommneded this site and guide.Like these robbers, have been on the lookout for them.Shot dragonflies all morning. Had a large fly with white around its eyes sit by me for quite some time.Took a couple shots of it.

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  8. I had one of these guys in my apartment, didn't try to bother anyone, but I got him (or her) outside with a cup and paper. I guess they don't bite unless provoked but I wouldn't want to tick it off anyway... ^_^ cool little creature, all the same!

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  9. Please be advised that they DO bite humans! I got bit right in the middle of my back today! It felt like somebody put a cigarette out in my back! I have a red welt about 3 inches in diameter at this time. I'm hoping they don't carry diseases.

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    1. Very sorry about your experience; but that sounds much more like a horse fly or deer fly than a robber fly.

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  10. I should have said that robber flies do not bite people in the same sense as mosquitoes or black flies or horse flies or deer flies. Yes, in the rare instances they are trapped in clothing, or someone handles them, they *will* bite. It does not happen with enough frequency to warrant any kind of sensationalism from the press. My goal here is to create an appreciation and understanding of insects, not incite still more fear. Thank you for understanding.

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  11. Why would a robber fly be inside of someone's nose?(this is not a joke set-up). We were working on a farm in Lexington KY , and my brother was feeling I'll , like a bad sinus infection. He wiped his nose and one of them flies came out! Do you have any input? Thanks.

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    1. No, robber flies do *not* go up anyone's nose. There are so many different kinds of flies that I cannot begin to guess what it might have been instead; but flesh flies, blow flies, and flies in the family Muscidae are all extremely abundant on farms.

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  12. Here is one I saw capture a large house fly in flight! Darn, I can't attach pic but thought you might want the close up....which is awesome.

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  13. Hi from the north Tucson (Tortolita) Mtn. area! Well, I've lived in this beautiful Sonoran Desert north of Tucson, in what is still a fairly remote area, since '61. The desert was and is my dear buddy....and I've walked thru it constantly since I was 7. I've seen Robber Flies plenty of times, never had a problem. Then, a couple of years ago while walking up a dry sand wash, I was literally attacked by one (looked just like the last photo someone put up here). It was on a creosote branch and absolutely ATTACKED me with determination and a short A to B flight pattern. It hit my left upper arm, and man, it hurt like hell. It scabbed over soon and eventually after a long period left a scar. I almost felt as if I was the victim of some kind of "drone" mechanical insect....the attack was so severe. It stunned me that a Robber Fly would do that, but now I know. I don't worry about them a bit, as I figure this was a real anomaly. But for certain....it happened just as I said. jbeinarizona

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  14. What we know as robber flies, here in eastern NC, look like the first and 2nd to last pics. The WILL ABSOLUTELY bite. Not defensively, being trapped in clothing. They will aggressively land on you and inflict a very painful bite.

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  15. Bruh I was at an outdoor art class and saw one of these and picked it up and pestered it and touched it with my bare hands not knowing they could bite 💀

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  16. I'm curious if they prefer a certain prey? I'm in Arizona, and have patio misters on during the day. The small puddles attract a lot of wasps. Now I have a lot of robber flies all the sudden. They don't seem intersted in the water. Are they after the wasps?

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    1. Robber flies are generally opportunistic predators. They may be seeking shade, or simply a perch to hunt from, or be on your patio for some other reason entirely.

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  17. They bite, and man do they have one of the worst insect bites I've EVER felt in my life. I live in a diverse woods and see thousands of different bugs here and those, I don't mess with em. If one is paying special attention to me, I run. Id rather get stung by a jacked up wasp a dozen times!!!

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    1. Ouch! I'm so sorry you had a bad experience!

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