Owlfly vs Australian Beefly Robber

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Owlfly Australian Beefly Robber
Scientific Name Libelloides coccajus Blepharotes coriarius
Order Neuroptera Diptera
Family Ascalaphidae Asilidae
Size 25-30 mm body, 50 mm wingspan 25-35 mm
Habitat Meadows Woodlands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Owlfly

Dragonfly-like neuropterans with large eyes and clubbed antennae. Fast aerial predators that catch prey in flight. Often found in Mediterranean meadows at dusk.

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Did You Know?

Owlflies look like a hybrid between a dragonfly and a butterfly — they have large dragonfly-like eyes with striking clubbed antennae found nowhere else in the insect world.

Australian Beefly Robber

Australia's largest robber fly, heavily built with a dense covering of dark hair. It is a powerful predator capable of taking large beetles.

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Did You Know?

It is so large and powerful that it has been observed catching and eating cicadas.