Robber Fly #2 is a photograph by Kaye Menner which was uploaded on February 24th, 2013.
Robber Fly #2
The Asilidae are the robber fly family in the order Diptera, the true flies. The common name for members of the family is the Robber Fly. The... more
by Kaye Menner
Title
Robber Fly #2
Artist
Kaye Menner
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Asilidae are the robber fly family in the order Diptera, the true flies. The common name for members of the family is the Robber Fly. The Asilidae are cosmopolitan, with over 7000 described species.
They are powerfully built, bristly flies with short, sharp, stout sucking mouthparts. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive predatory habits; they feed mainly on other insects and they largely wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.
All robber flies have stout, spiny legs and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. They also have a usually dense moustache of stiff bristles on the face; this is called the mystax, a term derived from the Greek mystakos meaning "moustache" or "upper lip". The mystax probably affords some protection for the head and face when the flies deal with struggling prey.
Uploaded
February 24th, 2013
