This website is dedicated to robber flies (AKA assassin flies), a diverse family of venomous predators in the family Asilidae (Insecta: Diptera), with over 7,200 described species in 550+ genera. These aerial hunters can be found in nearly every terrestrial habitat, from tropical forests to arid deserts, and on every continent except Antarctica.

In 1962 Frank M. Hull published 2 volumes on the genera of the family Asilidae, titled 'Robber Flies of the World'. This monumental work included descriptions, species lists, distributions and even illustrations of almost every genus known at the time (over 400!). The goal of this website is to bring the spirit of 'Robber Flies of the World' into the modern age, and develop it into a living encyclopedia devoted to all aspects of these charismatic flies. Here you will find information about robber-fly taxonomy, nomenclature, phylogeny, natural history, distribution, identification, and more.

A note on classification: Robber Flies of the World currently follows the most recent subfamily classification (sensu Dikow 2009) with some modifications. However, the taxonomic classification will be continually updated as we learn more about the phylogenetic relationships of robber flies.