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Superfamily Asiloidea

Orange County Bee Fly Archives #20a - Needs ID - Villa Robber Fly - Holocecephala - Holcocephala Robber Fly - Onmatius tibialis  (with prey) - Ommatius tibialis Bombyliidae - Paravilla cunicula Robber Fly - Efferia aestuans - female Robber - Scleropogon bradleyi Mydidae - Ospriocerus stiletto fly - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Orthorrhapha)
Superfamily Asiloidea
Identification
The Asiloidea can be difficult to characterize morphologically. They have the empodia usually setiform or absent and cell cup elongate, with vein CuA2 ending freely on the wing margin or meeting with vein A1 at or near the wing margin, perhaps except in Scenopinidae. The number of flagellomeres does not exceed 4. Bombyliidae (and Mythicomyiidae) have cell bm with 3 distal corners and vein M3 often absent. Mydidae, Apioceridae, and Asilidae have the vertex of the head at least slightly concave between the eyes and the ocelli; dichoptic in both sexes. In Therevidae, Apsilocephalidae, and Scenopinidae, the males are usually holoptic (1).
Works Cited
1.Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 1
Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1981. Research Branch Agriculture Canada.