Asiloidea

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Antliophora
Ordo: Diptera
Subordo: Brachycera
Infraordo: Asilomorpha
Superfamilia: Asiloidea
Familiae (11 + 1†): Apioceridae - Apsilocephalidae - Apystomyiidae - Asilidae - Bombyliidae - Evocoidae - Hilarimorphidae - Mydidae - Mythicomyiidae - Scenopinidae - Therevidae - †Protapioceridae

Name

Asiloidea
References

Nagatomi, A. & N. Liu 1994: Apystomyiidae, a new family of Asiloidea (Diptera). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 40 (3): 203–218.
Trautwein, M.D.; Wiegmann, B.M.; Yeates, D.K. 2010: A multigene phylogeny of the fly superfamily Asiloidea (Insecta): Taxon sampling and additional genes reveal the sister-group to all higher flies (Cyclorrhapha). Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 56: 918–930. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.04.017
Yamaguchi, C.; Lamas, C.J.E. 2009: A catalogue of the types of Asiloidea (Diptera) in the collection of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil (Part 1: Bombyliidae and Mydidae). Zootaxa, 2146: 35–52. Abstract & excerpt

Vernacular names
日本語: ムシヒキアブ上科
中文: 食虫虻总科

The Asiloidea comprise a very large superfamily insects in the order Diptera, the true flies. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring worldwide, with many species living in dry, sandy habitat types. It includes the family Bombyliidae, the bee flies, which are parasitoids, and the Asilidae, the robber flies, which are predators of other insects. Members of the other families are mainly flower visitors as adults and predators as larvae.[1]

It is not entirely clear that this superfamily is monophyletic. It is closely related to the Empidoidea and the Cyclorrhapha.[1][2]
A robber fly illustrating typical Asiloidea head features
Families

Apioceridae – flower-loving flies
Apsilocephalidae
Apystomyiidae
Asilidae – robber flies
Bombyliidae – bee flies
Evocoidae
Hilarimorphidae
Mydidae – mydas flies
Mythicomyiidae
Scenopinidae – window flies
Therevidae – stiletto flies

The Protapioceridae, a family of extinct flies that were native to China, are also classified in the Asiloidea.[3]
References

El-Hawagry, M. S. A. (2011). "Catalogue of Superfamily Asiloidea (Diptera: Brachycera) of Egypt" (PDF). Efflatounia. 11: 1–190. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
Trautwein, M. D.; et al. (2010). "A multigene phylogeny of the fly superfamily Asiloidea (Insecta): Taxon sampling and additional genes reveal the sister-group to all higher flies (Cyclorrhapha)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56 (3): 918–30. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.04.017. PMID 20399874.
Zhang, K.; et al. (2007). "Notes on the extinct family Protapioceridae, with description of a new species from China (Insecta: Diptera: Asiloidea)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1530: 27–32.