Asilidae

Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Cladus: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Cladus: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Ordo: Diptera
Subordo: Brachycera
Infraordo: Asilomorpha
Superfamilia: Asiloidea
Familia: Asilidae
Subfamiliae: Apocleinae - Asilinae - Dasypogoninae - Dioctriinae - Laphriinae - Leptogastrinae - Ommatiinae - Stenopogoninae - Stichopogoninae - Trigonomiminae

Overview of genera (511)

Ablautus - Abrophila - Acasilus - Acnephalum - Acrochordomerus - Acronyches - Aczelia - Adelodus - Afganopogon - Afroepitriptus - Afroestricus - Afroholopogon - Afromelittodes - Afromochtherus - Afroscleropogon - Agrostomyia - Albicoma - Alcimus - Allopogon - Alvarenga - Alyssomyia - Amathomyia - Amblyonychus - Ammodaimon - Ammophilomima - Amphisbetetus - Anacinaces - Anarmostus - Anarolius - Anasillomos - Ancylorhynchus - Ancylorrhynchus - Andrenosoma - Aneomochtherus - Annamyia - Anoplothyrea - Antilophonotus - Antipalpus - Antiphrisson - Anypodetus - Apachekolos - Aphamartania - Aphestia - Aphistina - Aplestobroma - Apoclea - Apolastauroides - Apothechyla - Apotinocerus - Apoxyria - Araiopogon - Araujoa - Archilaphria - Archilestris - Archilestroides - Argillemisca - Argyrochira - Argyropogon - Aristofolia - Artigasus - Asilella - Asilus - Asiola - Aspidopyga - Astochia - Astylopogon - Aterpogon - Atomosia - Atonia - Atractia - Atractocoma - Austenmyia - Austrosaropogon - Aymarasilus - Backomyia - Bactria - Bamwardaria - Bana - Bathropsis - Bathypogon - Beameromyia - Blepharepium - Blepharotes - Bohartia - Borapisma - Brachyrhopala - Brevirostrum - Bromleyus - Bromotheres - Broticosia - Cabasa - Callinicus - Carreraomyia - Cenochromyia - Centrolaphria - Ceraturgus - Cerdistus - Cerotainia - Cerotainiops - Cerozodus - Cesagaster - Chilesus - Chryseutria - Chrysopogon - Chrysotriclis - Chylophaga - Chymedax - Clariola - Clephydroneura - Cleptomyia - Clinopogon - Cnodalomyia - Cochleariocera - Codula - Coleomyia - Colepia - Comantella - Congomochtherus - Connomyia - Conosiphon - Cophinopoda - Cophura - Cormansis - Corymyia - Cratolestes - Cratopoda - Creolestes - Crobilocerus - Cryptomerinx - Ctenodontina - Ctenota - Cyanonedys - Cyclosocerus - Cylicomera - Cyphomyiactia - Cyphotomyia - Cyrtophrys - Cyrtopogon - Dakinomyia - Damalina - Damalis - Danomyia - Daptolestes - Dasophrys - Daspletis - Dasycyrton - Dasylechia - Dasyllina - Dasyllis - Dasypecus - Dasypogon - Deromyia - Despotiscus - Dichaetothyrea - Dicolonus - Dicranus - Dicropaltum - Dikowmyia - Dinozabrus - Dioctobroma - Dioctria - Diogmites - Dissmeryngodes - Dogonia - Dolichoscius - Dolopus - Doryclus - Dysclytus - Dysmachus - Eccoptopus - Eccritosia - Echthistus - Echthodopa - Eclipsis - Efferia - Eicherax - Eichoichemus - Empodiodes - Engelepogon - Enigmomorphus - Epaphroditus - Epiblepharis - Epiklisis - Epipamponeurus - Epitriptus - Erax - Eraxasilus - Erebunus - Eremisca - Eremodromus - Eremonotus - Eretomyia - Eriopogon - Erythropogon - Esatanas - Eucyrtopogon - Eudioctria - Eumecosoma - Eurhabdus - Euscelidia - Eutolmus - Filiolus - Galactopogon - Gerrolasius - Gibbasilus - Glaphyropyga - Glyphotriclis - Goneccalypsis - Gongromyia - Gonioscelis - Grajahua - Graptostylus - Grypoctonus - Gymnotriclis - Habropogon - Hadrokolos - Haplopogon - Haroldia - Harpagobroma - Heligmoneura - Heligmonevra - Helolaphyctis - Hermannomyia - Heteropogon - Hexameritia - Hodites - Hodophylax - Holcocephala - Holopogon - Hoplistomerus - Hoplopheromerus - Hoplotriclis - Hullia - Hybozelodes - Hynirhynchus - Hypenetes - Hyperechia - Hystrichopogon - Icariomima - Ichneumolaphria - Illudium - Iranopogon - Irianjaya - Irwinomyia - Ischiolobos - Itolia - Joartigasia - Jothopogon - Juxtasilus - Katharma - Ktyr - Ktyrimisca - Labarus - Labromyia - Lagodias - Lagynogaster - Laloides - Lampria - Lamprozona - Lamyra - Laphria - Laphygmolestes - Laphystia - Laphystotes - Lasiocnemus - Lasiopogon - Lastaurax - Lastaurina - Lastauroides - Lastauropsis - Lastaurus - Laxenecera - Lecania - Leinendera - Leptarthrus - Leptochelina - Leptogaster - Leptoharpacticus - Leptopteromyia - Lestomyia - Lestophonax - Lissoteles - Lithoecisus - Lobus - Lochmorhynchus - Lochyrus - Loewinella - Lonchodogonus - Lophoceraea - Lycomya - Lycoprosopa - Lycosimyia - Lycostommyia - Macahyba - Machimus - Macrocolus - Macroetra - Mactea - Maira - Mallophora - Martinofurcilla - Martinomyia - Martintella - Mauropteron - Megadrillus - Megametopon - Megaphorus - Megapoda - Megonyx - Meliponomima - Melouromyia - Mercuriana - Merodontina - Metadioctria - Metalaphria - Metapogon - Michotamia - Microphontes - Microstylum - Millenarius - Minicatus - Mirolestes - Molobratia - Myaptex - Myelaphus - Nannocyrtopogon - Nannolaphria - Negasilus - Neoaratus - Neocerdistus - Neocyrtopogon - Neoderomyia - Neodioctria - Neodiogmites - Neodysmachus - Neoholopogon - Neoitamus - Neolaparus - Neolophonotus - Neomochtherus - Neophoneus - Neosaropogon - Neoscleropogon - Nerterhaptomenus - Nesiotes - Nicocles - Nomomyia - Nothopogon - Notiolaphria - Notomochtherus - Nusa - Nyssomyia - Nyssoprosopa - Nyximyia - Obelophorus - Odus - Oidardis - Oligopogon - Oligoschema - Ommatius - Ommatomyia - Omninablautus - Opeatocerus - Ophionomima - Opocapsis - Opseostlengis - Oratostylum - Orophotus - Orrhodops - Orthogonis - Othoniomyia - Oxynoton - Pachychaeta - Pachychoeta - Pamponerus - Paramochtherus - Paraphamartania - Parastenopogon - Parataracticus - Paraterpogon - Paratractia - Paritamus - Pashtshenkoa - Pedomyia - Pegesimallus - Perasis - Phellopteron - Phellus - Phileris - Philodicus - Philonerax - Philonicus - Phonicocleptes - Plesiomma - Pogonosoma - Polacantha - Polyphonius - Polysarca - Polysarcodes - Premochtherus - Pritchardia - Pritchardomyia - Proagonistes - Proctacanthella - Proctacanthus - Prolatiforceps - Prolepsis - Promachella - Promachus - Pronomopsis - Protichisma - Protometer - Prytanomyia - Pseudomerodontina - Pseudonusa - Pseudorus - Psilinus - Psilocurus - Psilonyx - Psilozona - Pycnomerinx - Pycnopogon - Pygommatius - Questopogon - Rachiopogon - Reburrus - Regasilus - Remotomyia - Rhabdogaster - Rhacholaemus - Rhadinosoma - Rhadinus - Rhadiurgus - Rhatimomyia - Rhayatus - Rhipidocephala - Rhopalogaster - Robertomyia - Saropogon - Satanas - Schildia - Scleropogon - Scylaticina - Scylaticus - Scytomedes - Senobasis - Senoprosopis - Sinopsilonyx - Sintoria - Sisyrnodytes - Smeryngolaphria - Spanurus - Sphagomyia - Sporadothrix - Stackelberginia - Stenasilus - Stenommatius - Stenopogon - Stichopogon - Stilpnogaster - Stiphrolamyra - Stizochymus - Stizolestes - Storthyngomerus - Strombocodia - Strophipogon - Synolcus - Systropalpus - Tanatchivia - Taperigna - Taracticus - Templasilus - Teratopomyia - Thallosia - Theodoria - Thereutria - Theromyia - Theurgus - Threnia - Tipulogaster - Tocantinia - Tolmerolestes - Tolmerus - Torasilus - Torebroma - Toremyia - Townsendia - Tricella - Trichardis - Trichardopsis - Trichomachimus - Trichoura - Triclioscelis - Triclis - Trigonomima - Triorla - Tsacasia - Tsacasiella - Turka - Udenopogon - Ujguricola - Valiraptor - Wilcoxia - Wilcoxius - Willistonina - Yksdarhus - Zabrops - Zabrotica - Zelamyia - Zosteria - Zoticus

Name

Asilidae

References

* Dikow, T. 2004(2003): Family-group names in the Asilidae (Diptera). Studia dipterologica, 10(2): 459-471. [not seen]
* Dikow, T. 2009: Phylogeny of Asilidae inferred from morphological characters of imagines (Insecta: Diptera: Brachycera: Asiloidea). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, (319)
* Geller-Grimm, F. 2004(2003): A world catalogue of the genera of the family Asilidae (Diptera). Studia dipterologica, 10(2): 473-526. [not seen]
* Koçak, A.Ö.; Kemal, M. 2009: A replacement name in the family Asilidae (Diptera). Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara miscellaneous papers, 147-148: 9-10. Internet Archive
* Koçak, A.Ö.; Kemal, M. 2009: A replacement name in the family Asilidae in South America (Diptera). Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara miscellaneous papers, 147-148: 14-15. Internet Archive
* Martin, C.H. 1975: The generic and specific characters of four old and six new Asilini genera in the western United States and Central America (Diptera: Asilidae). Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences, 119: 1-107.
* Özdikmen, H. 2010: Substitute names for three Neotropical robber flies genera (Diptera: Asilidae). Munis entomology & zoology, 5(2): 594-599.

Vernacular names
Diné bizaad: Wónaʼałtéhii
English: Robber flies
日本語: ムシヒキアブ科
Suomi: Petokärpäset
Türkçe: Avcı sinekler
Українська: Ктирі

Insects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. 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. 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. Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. Others are fat-bodied bumblebee mimics. Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, ants, dragon and damselflies, Ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders.
References

* 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, Frank M. (1962). "Robber Flies of the World: The Genera of the Family Asilidae". Bulletin of the United States National Museum 224: 1–907. http://hdl.handle.net/10088/10126.
* Lavigne, Robert J. (2003). "Evolution of courtship behaviour among the Asilidae (Diptera), with a review of courtship and mating". Studia dipterologica 9 (2): 703–42.
* Musso, Joseph-Jean (1978) (in French). Recherches sur le développement, la nutrition et l'écologie des Asilidae (Diptera - Brachycera) (PhD thesis). OCLC 30534417.
* Oldroyd, Harold (1969). Tabanoidea and Asiloidea. Handbooks for the identification of British insects. Royal Entomological Society. OCLC 256410648.
* Papavero, N (1973). "Studies of Asilidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution: I. A preliminary classification in subfamilies". Arquivos de Zoologia 23 (3): 217–74. http://www.revistasusp.sibi.usp.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066-78701973000100001&lng=pt.
* Wood, Grace C (1981). "Asilidae". In McAlpine JF, Peterson BV, Shewell GE, Teskey HJ, Vockeroth JR, Wood DM. Manual of Nearctic Diptera. 1. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services (Canada). pp. 549-73. ISBN 0-660-10731-7. http://www.esc-sec.ca/aafcmonographs/manual_of_nearctic_diptera_vol_1.pdf.