Alpine Hover Fly vs South American Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alpine Hover Fly South American Robber Fly
Scientific Name Sericomyia silentis Microstylum magnum
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Syrphidae Asilidae
Size 14-18 mm body length 30-40 mm
Habitat Meadows Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Predators
Regions Europe, Northern Asia South America, Central America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Alpine Hover Fly

A large hover fly with bold yellow-and-black banding mimicking a wasp. It visits alpine flowers for nectar in mountain meadows.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are rat-tailed maggots that breathe through a snorkel-like siphon in waterlogged soil.

South American Robber Fly

A large, elongate robber fly from tropical regions with a slender abdomen and long spiny legs. It hunts from exposed perches and can catch large prey relative to its body size.

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Did You Know?

Some tropical Asilidae species are among the largest predatory flies in the world, rivaling small dragonflies in wingspan.