Bugland: Stick ‘Em Up

Robber Flies are powerfully built, bristly flies with short, stout mouthparts and dense bristly moustaches on their faces. They are members of the family Asilidae and are sometimes called Assassin Flies because of their notoriously aggressive predatory habits. In general, Robber Flies attack a very wide range of prey — including beetles, butterflies and moths, bees, ants, dragon and damselflies, grasshoppers, some spiders, and even each other. These two boxing Robber Flies were photographed by Mark Silverstein at Bluff Lake Nature Center east of Park Hill.