Are robber flies poisonous?
Are robber flies poisonous?
Robber flies, also known as “assassin flies,” often resemble wasps or bees more than they do flies. They certainly bear little resemblance to house flies. They don’t carry diseases or bite people, either.
Are robber flies good for the garden?
Robber fly insects are a mixed blessing to gardeners; if they’re seriously perturbed, they can inflict a painful bite, but they also help rid the garden of harmful pests like grasshoppers, other flies, wasps, leafhoppers, white grubs, and pupating beetles.
How do you identify robber flies?
Robber flies range in length to almost 8 cm (3 inches), making them the largest of all flies. Most are dull in colour, and their stout, often hairy, bodies resemble those of bumble bees. Between the large-faceted eyes is a moustache of bristles.
How big can a robber fly get?
Adults range in size from small (3 mm) to very large (over 50 mm), averaging 9 to 15 mm in length (Wood 1981). Robber flies have long, strong legs that are bristled to aid in prey capture.
Are robber flies invasive?
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….Asilidae.
| Asilidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Superfamily: | Asiloidea |
| Family: | Asilidae Latreille, 1802 |
| Subfamilies |
Where are robber flies located?
Robber flies are quite common, and can be found almost everywhere. There are a total of 7,500 species described worldwide, with a little over 1,000 of those occurring in North America. They prefer habitats with open space and plentiful sun, such as meadows or near water.
Are robber flies common?
Robber flies are particularly abundant in arid and sunny habitats, which are optimal conditions for observing their many morphs and behaviors. Figure 1.
What should I do if I get bit by an assassin bug?
Persons who are bitten should wash and apply antiseptic to the site of the bite. Oral analgesics, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may be useful to reduce the pain. Treatment by a physician is not usually needed, though Caladryl® or topical corticosteroids may help reduce swelling or itching at the site of the bite.
