Huge Robber Fly

[Galapoheros]

I posted pics of this a long time ago. I'm really interested in the larvae of these but I can't find much info. Anybody know anything about the larvae? My hunch is that they are pretty impressive predators if they are anything like giant horsefly larvae, which I got tagged by when I was a kid digging around in the mud next to a pond. Any info, esp a pic of a larvae would be cool to see. I'm thinking the eggs are probably so sparsely laid that finding a larvae is pretty hard to do.

I just noticed in my old post someone found a pic but I can't find one anymore.

Found a link
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...art=40&ndsp=20&um=1&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&as_qdr=all

 

[apidaeman]

Beautiful bumble bee mimic robber fly. Have seen several mimic varieties, that is a particularly beautiful variety.

Their larval form is also carnivorious. I would assume they would be difficult to raise in captivity.

 

[Mat]

The larvae of most robber flie are, as far as I know, either predatory or ectoparasitic. Most of them develop underground. I species I am most familiar with (Asilus crabroniformis) is supposed to predate the larvae of dung beetles, but the full life cycle has not been fully confirmed. I don't thisk anyone had bred them in captivity.

Matt

 

[lhystrix]

Check out Mallophora leschenaulti here:
http://www.hr-rna.com/RNA/Rfly pages/Mallophora page.htm
Might help.

 

[Eclipse]

Ew you're actually holding it. I see robber flies all the time near the garbage can. They have an infinate amount of flies to feast on. I actually want to keep one.

 

[Galapoheros]

Actually it was holding on to me, I was finally able to break loose:liar: . Hi Jeff h, that link gave me more info than I ever thought I would find, thanks. I'm in the Austin TX area like was mentioned in the link. Sounds like they still don't know much about the larvae:? .

 

[echostatic]

i saw one of these a while ago

i wish i had kept it... i love how they seem to have no fear.

 

[Eclipse]

Who knows, this might be a new line of pets. I heard they can bite, but I don't know if it's true though.

 

[froggyman]

can robber flies bite you?

 

[lhystrix]

can robber flies bite you?

Yes. Bites from large robbers are as painful as a bee or paper wasp sting.
Also, their bite is more like a sting than a bite, as they actually pierce the skin with their mouthparts (note 'mouth' in echostatic's image above) and inject 'saliva'.

 

[echostatic]

well if i had known that i wouldnt have gotten within an inch of its head... ouch.

 

[P. Novak]

Haha it kind of resembles a bumblebee. Great find, and pretty darn big as well.

 

[Jer]

These guys would look sexy on a #0.