Insect Identification

Robber flies are members of the fly family Asilidae. This is a large group of flies with some 7,000 species identified worldwide. All are predators on other insects. In general, robber flies look mean. The top of their head is sunken, which makes their large eyes - with four thousand lenses - even more prominent. They also have a long beak that protrudes from a mass of bristling hairs and creates a look similar to that of a bearded man.

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It appears to be Asilidae Robber Fly (although I couldn’t gage the actual size)


Common Name:
Robber fly
Scientific Name:
Megaphorus willistoni

Unique Qualities:
Robber flies are common, swiftly flying predators, 5-30 mm long. They have stout, spiny legs, a dense "beard" of bristles on the face, and a depression in the forehead between the compound eyes.
Can be Seen:
Robber flies are distributed all over North America. They can be found mostly in British Columbia.
Likes to Hang Out:
Robber flies can be found in arid and sunny habitats. They also seem to prefer areas with lots of flowers, because that is where their favourite prey, small bees and wasps can be found.
Likes to Eat:
Robber flies have huge appetites and feed on a vast array of invertebrates, which may help to maintain a healthy balance between insect populations in various habitats. The adults attack wasps, bees, dragonflies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, other flies, and some spiders.
Status:
Although common elsewhere, the population of robber flies in British Columbia is classified as "critically imperilled"

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SLaP said:

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The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies.

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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.

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