Short-tongued Flower-loving Fly
Female, ventral
Ellura
Yellow Slender Robber Fly
Profile
 
                      
Hairy Short-winged Robber Fly (Bathypogon sp ES02)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Flies (Diptera)
Family: Robber Fly (Asilidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Hairy Short-winged Robber Fly (Bathypogon sp ES02)
This Photo:     

Thank you Dr Shaun Winterton for helping with the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills and elsewhere
We have trouble separating Robberflies (Asilidae sp) & Stiletto Flies (Therevidae sp). When we asked, Shaun said "Simplest way to ID an Asilid is to look for the mystax on the front of the head, and the excavated area on the top of the head between the eyes. Also, they have lots of large setae on the body and legs, making them look spiky. Mouthparts are always pointed rather than rounded in Therevids."
In the past we've recognised the heavy facial hair, almost a beard, as helping separate Robberflies from others. Mystax that Shaun refers to is a latin word for Moustache

Copyright © 2016-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 22-Feb-2016
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.