Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Red-footed Cannibalfly
Promachus rufipes
39.4202, -76.8215
Field Notes
Description:
Robber flies have stout, spiny legs and they have three simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression on the top of their head between their two large compound eyes.[4] They also have a usually dense moustache of stiff bristles on the face; this is called the mystax, a term derived from the Greek mystakos meaning "moustache" or "upper lip". The mystax has been suggested to afford some protection for the head and face when the flies deal with struggling prey; various Asilidae prey on formidable species including stinging Hymenoptera, powerful grasshoppers, dragonflies and even other Asilidae, in fact practically anything of a suitable size. Some Asilidae do however specialise in smaller prey, and this is reflected in their more gracile build.
Habitat:
These flies generally occur in habitats that are open, sunny and dry or even arid. They favour open or scattered vegetation, and some species even frequent bare ground. Typical habitats include savannah, forest steppe, open steppe, semi-desert, maquis shrubland, and related shrubland types such as fynbos and chaparral. Their biodiversity is lower in forested ecosystems and, where they do occur in such environments, they tend to concentrate in the glades and margins. In those conditions the interrupted canopy leaves space for various species of shrubs and herbaceous plants suited to their styles of predation.
Notes:
I found him at Soldier's Delight NEA in Baltimore County, MD. The environment is very rocky with grasslands throughout.
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment
Sign in to comment