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Information about Asilidae

Asilidae
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Robber Fly, Zosteria spec.

Robber Fly, Zosteria spec.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Diptera
Suborder:Brachycera
Superfamily:Asiloidea
Family:Asilidae
Subfamilies
  • Apocleinae
  • Asilinae
  • Dasypogoninae
  • Laphriinae
  • Leptogastrinae
  • Ommatiinae
  • Stenopogoninae
  • Stichopogoninae
  • Trigonomiminae


Flies in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly known as 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 bumble bee mimics. Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, dragon and damselflies, ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders.

Literature

  • 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 FM (1962): Robber flies of the world., Bulletin of the United States National Museum 224 (1, 2): 1-907; Washington.
  • Lavigne RJ (2003): Evolution of courtship behaviour among the Asilidae (Diptera), with a review of courtship and mating. Studia dipterologica 9(2)(2002): 703-742
  • Musso JJ (1978): Recherches sur le développement, la nutrition et l'écologie des Asilidae (Diptera - Brachycera), Aix-*Marseille: These université d'droit, d'èconomie et des sciences: 312 S.
  • Oldroyd H (1969): Tanbanoidea and Asiloidea, Handb Ident British Insects 9(4). London
  • Papavero N (1973): Studies of Asilidae (Diptera) systematics and evolution. I. A preliminary classification in subfamilies., Arquivos de Zoologia do Estado de Sao Paulo 23: 217-274; Sao Paulo.
  • Wood GC (1981): Asilidae, In: McAlpine JF, Peterson BV, Shewell GE, Teskey HJ, Vockeroth JR, Wood DM,(Hrsg.): Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Volume 1., Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Monographs 27: : 549-573; Ottawa.

External links

Photo gallery


Female
Efferia aestuans

Robber fly

Neoitamus cyanurus

Choerades fimbriata

Dasypogon diadema

Robber fly resting.

Promachus vertebratus

Efferia aestuans, Albuquerque, NM
Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829

Subphyla and Classes
  • Subphylum Trilobitomorpha
  • Trilobita - trilobites (extinct)
  • Subphylum Chelicerata

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Insecta
Linnaeus, 1758

Orders
Subclass Apterygota
* Archaeognatha (bristletails)
* Thysanura (silverfish)
Subclass Pterygota
* Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic)

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Diptera
Linnaeus, 1758

Suborders

Nematocera (includes Eudiptera)
Brachycera

True flies are insects of the Order Diptera (Greek: di = two, and pteron
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Brachycera

Infraorder

Asilomorpha
Muscomorpha
Stratiomyomorpha
Tabanomorpha
Vermileonomorpha
Xylophagomorpha

Brachycera is a suborder of Diptera. It is a major suborder consisting of around 120 families.
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Asiloidea

Families

Apioceridae- flower flies
Apsilocephalidae
Apystomyiidae
Asilidae- robber flies
Bombyliidae- bee flies
Hilarimorphidae
Mydidae- mydas flies
Mythicomyiidae
Evocoidae
Scenopinidae- window flies
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Asilinae

Tribe
  • Asilini
  • Ommatiini


Asilinae is a subfamily of Asilidae family.

References

  • Asilinae (TSN 133483) . Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

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Diptera
Linnaeus, 1758

Suborders

Nematocera (includes Eudiptera)
Brachycera

True flies are insects of the Order Diptera (Greek: di = two, and pteron
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ocellus (plural: ocelli) is a type of photoreceptor organ in animals. Also called "simple eyes", ocelli are miniature eyes capable of sensing light but not distinguishing its direction. See also stemmata, which are structurally similar. Ocelli are found in many invertebrates.
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A compound eye is a visual organ found in arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. It consists of one to thousands[1] of ommatidia which are tiny independent photoreception units that consist of a cornea, lens, and photoreceptor cells which distinguish
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proboscis (from Greek pro "before" and boskein "to feed") is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal. The most common usage is to refer to the tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates like insects, worms (including proboscis worms) and
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ovipositor is an organ used by some of the arthropods for oviposition, i.e. the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly.
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