Golden-tabbed robberfly (Eutolmus rufibarbis)

Here’s a detailed profile of the Golden-tabbed Robberfly (Eutolmus rufibarbis), a predatory insect often seen in sunny open areas during summer.

🪰 Golden-tabbed Robberfly Overview

• Scientific name: Eutolmus rufibarbis
• Common name: Golden-tabbed Robberfly
• Family: Asilidae (robberflies)
• Size: ~14–18 mm in length
• Flight period: Late May to August

🌍 Distribution and Habitat

• Range:
  • Found across much of Europe, including the British Isles, and extending into parts of western Asia.
  • More frequent in central and southern regions.
• Habitat:
  • Prefers dry, sunny, open places:
    • Heathlands
    • Grasslands
    • Dry meadows and pastures
    • Sandy or chalky slopes
  • Often perches on bare soil patches, stones, or low vegetation while hunting.

🐾 Appearance and Identification

• Body:
  • Stout, bristly body typical of robberflies.
  • Thorax and abdomen generally dark brown with fine hairs.
• Face:
  • Distinct golden-yellow hairs (the “golden tabs”) between the eyes and around the facial area.
  • Dense “mystax” (bristly moustache) helps protect eyes from struggling prey.
• Legs:
  • Strong, spiny legs for grabbing prey mid-air.
• Wings:
  • Transparent with slight brownish tint toward the base.

🍽 Diet and Hunting Behavior

• Predator: Feeds on other insects, including:
  • Flies, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, beetles, and butterflies.
• Hunting style:
  • Perches in sunny spots, then launches short, fast flights to catch prey in mid-air.
  • Uses piercing mouthparts to inject enzymes that paralyze and liquefy prey tissues before sucking them out.

🐣 Life Cycle

• Eggs: Laid in soil or among plant debris.
• Larvae: Live in the soil, predatory on other insect larvae.
• Overwintering: Usually as larvae in the ground, pupating the following spring.
• Adult lifespan: Several weeks during summer.

⚠ Conservation Status

• IUCN: Not globally threatened; generally common where habitat remains intact.
• Locally affected by:
  • Loss of open, dry habitats
  • Agricultural intensification reducing insect prey availability

🔎 Interesting Facts

• Robberflies are sometimes called the “wolves of the insect world” for their aggressive predation.
• The golden facial hairs are thought to play a role in species recognition.
• Adults often bask in the sun to warm up their flight muscles before hunting.

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