Japanese Robber Fly vs Banded General Soldier Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Robber Fly Banded General Soldier Fly
Scientific Name Cophinopoda chinensis Stratiomys potamida
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Asilidae Stratiomyidae
Size 20-30 mm 12-16 mm
Habitat Forests Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions East Asia Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Japanese Robber Fly

A large East Asian robber fly with powerful raptorial legs. It preys on cicadas and large beetles in montane forests.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few flies capable of overpowering and killing adult cicadas.

Banded General Soldier Fly

A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aquatic larvae are elongate and can breathe through a posterior spiracle at the water surface.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive in heavily polluted water where most other aquatic insects cannot live.