Family

Robber Flies

Asilidae

48 species in our catalog · found in 33 parks

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
ClassInsecta (Insects)
OrderDiptera (Flies)
FamilyAsilidae (Robber Flies)

Species in this group

Neoaratus hercules

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Promachus rufipes

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Laphria janus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Microstylum oberthurii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Lasiopogon willametti

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Proctacanthus milbertii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Laphria flava

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Pogonosoma funebre

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Ommatius coeraebus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Dioctria hyalipennis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Philonicus albiceps

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Psilonyx annulatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Promachus sackeni

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Zosteria rosevillensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Stichopogon trifasciatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Colepia rufiventris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Trichardis picta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Laphria thoracica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Endemic

Zosteria fulvipubescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Colepia ingloria

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Dasypogon diadema

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Laphria divisor

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Orthogonis ornatipennis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Promachus painteri

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Atomosia puella

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Efferia albibarbis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Diogmites neoternatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Smeryngolaphria numitor

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Andrenosoma cruentum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Neoitamus socius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Eudioctria brevis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria flavicollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Paritamus geniculatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Machimus rusticus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Holcocephala calva

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria franciscana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hoplistomerus nobilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria virginica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria fernaldi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Machimus sadyates

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria sacrator

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Triorla interrupta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Zosteria sydneensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphystia actia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Dysmachus trigonus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laphria ephippium

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Laxenecera albicincta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Machimus atricapillus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 48 species Show fewer

Daily sighting probability by month

Probability-weighted average across the group's species

~10%

Jan

<5%

Feb

<5%

Mar

<5%

Apr

<5%

May

<5%

Jun

~10%

Jul

~10%

Aug

<5%

Sep

<5%

Oct

<5%

Nov

<5%

Dec

When they're spotted

When the group's species are recorded (aggregated)

Where to see Robber Flies

Warmer areas are where this group is recorded most often. Our parks Our cities

Parks Ranked

#	Park	Country	Species	Daily sighting probability
1	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	7 of 48	~40%
	Eastern Lion Fly			~10%
	Ringed Pixie			~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			~10%
	Black-Waisted Laphria			~10%
	Common Micropanther			~10%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			~10%
	Gray Goggle Eye			<5%
2	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	6 of 48	~30%
	Eastern Lion Fly			~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Little Longhorn Robber			<5%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
	Pinewoods Laphria			<5%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
3	Lamington National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	4 of 48	~30%
	Zosteria rosevillensis			~10%
	Colepia rufiventris			~10%
	Zosteria fulvipubescens			~10%
	Colepia ingloria			~10%
4	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	5 of 48	~20%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Bumblebee Robberfly			~10%
	Neoitamus socius			<5%
	Paritamus geniculatus			<5%
	Machimus rusticus			<5%
5	Blue Mountains National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	5 of 48	~20%
	Neoaratus hercules			~10%
	Zosteria rosevillensis			~10%
	Orthogonis ornatipennis			~10%
	Zosteria sydneensis			<5%
	Ommatius coeraebus			<5%
6	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	2 of 48	~20%
	Microstylum oberthurii			~10%
	🦋 Pogonosoma funebre			~10%
7	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	3 of 48	~20%
	Ommatius coeraebus			~10%
	Neoaratus hercules			~10%
	Orthogonis ornatipennis			~10%
8	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1 of 48	~20%
	Neoaratus hercules			~20%
9	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	4 of 48	~20%
	Dune Robber Fly			~10%
	Fan-Bristled Robberfly			<5%
	Bumblebee Robberfly			<5%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
10	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	2 of 48	~20%
	Common Marauder			~10%
	Three-Banded Robber Fly			~10%
11	Grampians National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1 of 48	~20%
	Neoaratus hercules			~20%
12	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 48	~20%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Shiny-Sided Bladetail			<5%
	Yellow-Waisted Laphria			<5%
13	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	~20%
	Eastern Lion Fly			~20%
14	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 48	~20%
	Orange-Tailed Laphria			~20%
15	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	3 of 48	~10%
	Bumblebee Robberfly			<5%
	Dasypogon diadema			<5%
	Laphria ephippium			<5%
16	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	2 of 48	~10%
	Neoaratus hercules			~10%
	Colepia rufiventris			<5%
17	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 48	~10%
	Willamette Sandpirate			~10%
18	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1 of 48	~10%
	Bumblebee Robberfly			~10%
19	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 48	~10%
	Mangrove Chiselmouth			~10%
	Northern Triorla			<5%
20	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	1 of 48	~10%
	Bumblebee Robberfly			~10%
21	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	~10%
	Sacken Lion Fly			~10%
22	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	2 of 48	~10%
	Golden Robber Fly			<5%
	Laxenecera albicincta			<5%
23	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	1 of 48	~10%
	🦋 Trichardis picta			~10%
24	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	1 of 48	~10%
	Dasypogon diadema			~10%
25	Springbrook National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1 of 48	~10%
	Ommatius coeraebus			~10%
26	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1 of 48	~10%
	Black Lion Fly			~10%
27	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	~10%
	Sand Hammertail			~10%
28	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	1 of 48	~10%
	Smeryngolaphria numitor			~10%
29	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%
30	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Western Black Laphria			<5%
31	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Red-Spotted Laphria			<5%
32	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 48	<5%
	🦋 Laphystia actia			<5%
33	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	1 of 48	<5%
	Golden Robber Fly			<5%

Cities Ranked

#	City	Country	Species	Daily sighting probability
1	Boston	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 48	~30%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			~10%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Shiny-Sided Bladetail			<5%
2	Toronto	🇨🇦 Canada	6 of 48	~20%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			~10%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Shiny-Sided Bladetail			<5%
	Common Marauder			<5%
3	Montreal	🇨🇦 Canada	6 of 48	~20%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Shiny-Sided Bladetail			<5%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
	Gray Goggle Eye			<5%
4	Sydney	🇦🇺 Australia	6 of 48	~20%
	Ommatius coeraebus			~10%
	Neoaratus hercules			<5%
	Zosteria fulvipubescens			<5%
	Zosteria rosevillensis			<5%
	Orthogonis ornatipennis			<5%
	Colepia rufiventris			<5%
5	Washington	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 48	~20%
	Eastern Lion Fly			~10%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
	Gray Goggle Eye			<5%
6	New York City	🇺🇸 United States	6 of 48	~20%
	Common Micropanther			~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			<5%
	Ringed Pixie			<5%
7	Chicago	🇺🇸 United States	7 of 48	~20%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%
	Three-Banded Robber Fly			<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
	Gray Goggle Eye			<5%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			<5%
	Common Marauder			<5%
8	Baltimore	🇺🇸 United States	4 of 48	~20%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Eastern Lion Fly			<5%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
9	Miami	🇺🇸 United States	5 of 48	~20%
	Northern Triorla			~10%
	Three-Banded Robber Fly			<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%
	Ringed Pixie			<5%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			<5%
10	Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	3 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
	Paritamus geniculatus			<5%
11	Essen	🇩🇪 Germany	3 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
	Paritamus geniculatus			<5%
12	Taichung	🇹🇼 Taiwan	1 of 48	~10%
	Microstylum oberthurii			~10%
13	Taipei	🇹🇼 Taiwan	2 of 48	~10%
	Microstylum oberthurii			~10%
	🦋 Pogonosoma funebre			<5%
14	Austin	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 48	~10%
	Black Lion Fly			~10%
	Northern Triorla			<5%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
15	Hamburg	🇩🇪 Germany	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
16	Birmingham	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
17	Minneapolis [Saint Paul]	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 48	~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
18	Detroit	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
19	Houston	🇺🇸 United States	3 of 48	~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Northern Triorla			<5%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
20	Brisbane	🇦🇺 Australia	3 of 48	~10%
	Zosteria fulvipubescens			<5%
	Colepia rufiventris			<5%
	Ommatius coeraebus			<5%
21	London	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
22	Copenhagen	🇩🇰 Denmark	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
23	Melbourne	🇦🇺 Australia	2 of 48	~10%
	Neoaratus hercules			~10%
	Colepia rufiventris			<5%
24	Helsinki	🇫🇮 Finland	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
25	Philadelphia	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 48	~10%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
	Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria			<5%
26	Moscow	🇷🇺 Russia	2 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			<5%
27	Cologne	🇩🇪 Germany	1 of 48	~10%
	Kite-Tailed Robberfly			~10%
28	San Antonio	🇺🇸 United States	2 of 48	~10%
	Black Lion Fly			<5%
	Common Micropanther			<5%
29	Rotterdam [The Hague]	🇳🇱 Netherlands	1 of 48	~10%
	Dune Robber Fly			~10%
30	Seattle	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	~10%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			~10%
31	Lyon	🇫🇷 France	1 of 48	<5%
	Dasypogon diadema			<5%
32	Manchester	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
33	Edmonton	🇨🇦 Canada	1 of 48	<5%
	Orange-Tailed Laphria			<5%
34	Liverpool	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
35	Warsaw	🇵🇱 Poland	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
36	Brussels	🇧🇪 Belgium	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
37	Kyiv	🇺🇦 Ukraine	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
38	Sacramento	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%
39	Paris	🇫🇷 France	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
40	Munich	🇩🇪 Germany	1 of 48	<5%
	Machimus rusticus			<5%
41	Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief			<5%
42	Denver	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Stripe-Legged Robber Fly			<5%
43	Portland	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Western Black Laphria			<5%
44	Dallas	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Black-Tailed Laphria			<5%
45	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	1 of 48	<5%
	Sand Hammertail			<5%

Robber Flies

Species in this group

Neoaratus hercules

Eastern Lion Fly

Orange-Tailed Laphria

Microstylum oberthurii

Willamette Sandpirate

Common Marauder

Bumblebee Robberfly

Pogonosoma funebre

Ommatius coeraebus

Stripe-Legged Robber Fly

Dune Robber Fly

Ringed Pixie

Sacken Lion Fly

Zosteria rosevillensis

Three-Banded Robber Fly

Colepia rufiventris

Trichardis picta

Eastern Yellow-Backed Laphria

Zosteria fulvipubescens

Colepia ingloria

Dasypogon diadema

Black-Waisted Laphria

Orthogonis ornatipennis

Black Lion Fly

Common Micropanther

Sand Hammertail

Plain-Tailed Hanging Thief

Smeryngolaphria numitor

Mangrove Chiselmouth

Neoitamus socius

Little Longhorn Robber

Black-Tailed Laphria

Paritamus geniculatus

Machimus rusticus

Gray Goggle Eye

Western Black Laphria

Golden Robber Fly

Pinewoods Laphria

Red-Spotted Laphria

Shiny-Sided Bladetail

Yellow-Waisted Laphria

Northern Triorla

Zosteria sydneensis

Laphystia actia

Fan-Bristled Robberfly

Laphria ephippium

Laxenecera albicincta

Kite-Tailed Robberfly

Daily sighting probability by month

When they're spotted

Where to see Robber Flies

Parks Ranked

Cities Ranked