All robber flies are predators on insects and have two wings, prominent spikes on their legs, stout hairs on the body, a prominent proboscis fashioned into … Robber-flies (Asilidae) – predators (all flying insects). Adult robber flies are predatory flies that can catch prey larger than themselves in mid-air. These predators maintain a delicate balance in the food chain and also help rid your backyard of pests. They are medium to large size flies with large eyes and necked head. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. Robber flies are second only to dragonflies as aerial insect predators. Most of that time is as a larva in the soil. Most robber flies frequent sunny, open areas and are active during the warmest parts of the day and year. 1.1.1 Introduction The conditions under which the tsetse lives make up its environment. Where one type … Their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem with a well-developed food chain. Predators: Red ant, robber fly, big-eyed bug (Geocoris sp), earwig, ground beetle, cecidomyiid fly, dragon fly, praying mantis, lacewing, ladybird beetle, spider etc. Flies and hymenopterans (bees and wasps) also differ in their flight patterns. It injects a fluid into its victims that breaks down the muscle tissue. Robber flies can live between 1 and 3 years. All robber-flies share the same elongate strongly tapering body form. Robber flies live in urban areas, forests and woodlands. Robber fly adults lay eggs in the summer in soil or rotten wood. Few insects will mess with a nest of hornets. It includes conditions of climate, vegetation, animal life, soil, and the effects of human activity. Because pest flies reproduce nine times faster, adding supplemental Fly Predators every three to four weeks during warm months keeps the population balance necessary for good fly control. All these may be called environmental conditions or environmental factors. For example, gallery forest, thicket, miombo woodland, and mopane woodland are different kinds of tsetse habitat. Leaf eating caterpillar Biology. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and as a rule they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight. Robber flies and their larvae are voracious predators of a wide variety of pests: beetles, wasps, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, wasps and others. They are active predators on flying insects, unselective in prey species. Robber-flies (Asilidae) – predators (all flying insects). Their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem with a well-developed food chain. They typically hunt for prey from a perch overlooking sunny, open areas. Common Name: Robber Flies General Category: Predator Taxonomic Classification: Diptera: Asilidae Scientific Name: Many species Description Because of their large size and loud buzz when flying, these generalist predators are often confused with horse flies and other biting flies. They have strong legs which can catch prey on flight. Several species even mimic bumble bees, with black and yellow stripes. As such, they frequently perch on flowers to survey the surroundings; they are frequently seen to be predators of bees of all sizes. Although robber flies are predators, they are sometimes prey for other animals, including spiders, birds, and larger predatory insects like assassin bugs, praying mantids, and even other robber flies (as shown below). Robber flies occur nearly everywhere, but more species are found in places that are open, warm, and sunny. Seen one robber-fly, seen them all – they have intermediate length antennae, long abdomens, and elongate muscular legs. 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