Best time to see: mid Jun to end Jul

Key facts

Robberflies are large robust flies with elongated bodies and piercing mouthparts to kill and consume other insects

The hornet robberfly is Britain's largest species, with a body length approaching 3cm

Britain has 29 species, roughly half of which occur in Essex

Recognition

Bristly, mainly ginger body, 18–28mm long; black and yellow markings; tinted wings; and long spiny legs

Habitat: grazed pastures on well-drained soils

Dart out from a perch to catch other insects, including grasshoppers, beetles and flies, drinking their body fluids

Lifecycle

Adult females lay their eggs on the ground where the young can find prey, such as on or around animal dung

The grubs enter the soil on hatching and feed on small animals, such as dung beetle larvae

They spend up to 3 years in the soil before emerging as adults in the summer, with only a few weeks in which to mate