A Kite-tailed Robberfly enjoys a froghopper meal at Bodham churchyard today. Quite a nice rural churchyard with 60 lichen species.

I believe this to be the Robberfly Machimus cingulatus, seen on the Gentleshaw Common Bioblitz, 16/08/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @kitenet.bsky.social @c-forrest-king.bsky.social #Asilidae

I think this one is Machimus atricapillus, Kite-tailed Robberfly, seen 08/08/25 at Brandon Marsh @warwickshirewt.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @kitenet.bsky.social #Asilidae @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Dune Villa 'twerking' as @flygirlnhm.bsky.social describes it! - possibly filmed for the 1st time? Took me over an hour to film this much footage because the ruddy thing just keep fly and flying and flying, fast and low and stop for about a second before flying and flying.... #bugsky #ukwildlife

Hornet robber fly on the Lydden Downs near Dover.

The bee fly Villa modesta on coastal dunes, St Martin's, Scilly

Another characteristic sand dune species from Scilly - the robberfly Philonicus albiceps

This Four-barred Major Soldierfly is our second ever record on 25/7 with the previous sighting made in 2019. It's yellow and black colouring is presumed to deter predators @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @insects.bsky.social @lgspace.bsky.social

Kite-tailed Robberfly Lytchett Bay, Dorset @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

I look forward to seeing my first Hornet Robberflies every year. One of my favourite insects, three of these absolute units were on sentry duty around some of the Purbeck Heath dung piles earlier this afternoon @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Four-barred Soldierfly, Oxycera rara. Found early yesterday morning on hedge only metres from a housing estate in East Yorkshire. It was not bothered by me moving the leaf to try to get a better photo (even so photos not that crisp, a pity).

This is the most northerly UK record ever for Broad Centurion, Chloromyia formosa! It's been known from Orkney for at least 11 years, but this record (and photo) by Karen Leonard is the first to come from Mainland island.

An amazing observation and photo by Bryony Chapman of the Hornet Robberfly tucking into a spicy meal of Nicrophorus carrion beetle @carrionbeetlesuk.bsky.social - these robberflies really are the boss of insect predators 🦁 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A very small soldierfly, possibly the Green Gem - Microchrysa flavicornis, on a Hawthorn leaf earlier today @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

The uncommon soldierfly Hill Soldier (Oxycera pardalina) ovipositing into the head of a Common Cotton-grass plant on the North York Moors recently. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Chrysopilus laetus ♀ today in Bengeo garden. Until recently this distinctive orange snipefly was a major rarity restricted to Beech of Windsor Forest but has suddenly started to expand its range. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social #TreeSnipefly #saproxylic #climatechange

This female Tabanus autumnalis (Large Marsh Horsefly) was busy laying eggs on the edge of a temporary pool at Silverlake, near Dorchester, earlier today @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Excellent news for this very restricted species of bee-fly #BeeFlyWatch

Good record: Stratiomys singularior, Flecked General soldierfly 🤩 - thanks to @sjbknott.bsky.social for additional confirmation

Soldierflies are not as well known as hoverflies but some species are really beautiful. Chloromyia formosa ♀ yesterday on unmown lawn in Bengeo garden, common grassland species. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

A new generation of the Dark Giant Horsefly (Tabanus sudeticus) in the making up on the @northyorkmoors.org.uk on Monday...they were loving the heat over the rushy meadows! @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Another Large Marsh horsefly (Tabanus autumnalis) in the conservatory this afternoon. Large and fearsome flies! @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Some soldierflies are as large as bumblebee queens. Stratiomys potamida ♂ today in Bengeo garden, striking wasp mimic. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Thank you Ian - this is important work but hopefully enjoyable as well!

Fens and other wetlands are the classic soldierfly habitat, ideally with calcareous shallow water and seepages incl. tufa deposits. But some species (e.g. Chorisops, Beris) can be found more widely, e.g. by sweeping the lower branches of trees even in dry habitats, and some visit umbellifer flowers

Acrosathe annulata - Coastal Silver-stiletto, seen near Stourton, south Staffordshire @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

A rather splendid female Haematopota pluvialis having a rest inbetween attempting to feed from me, seen 28/06/25 at #RSPBMiddletonLakes @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #Tabanidae #Diptera

A first record of Eupachygaster tarsalis in vice-county West Gloucestershire 🎉

This is a fairly widespread soldierfly but until today I'd never managed to find it: Three-lined Soldier, Oxycera trilinatea. Well worth the long wait 😍 At Withymead reserve in Oxfordshire @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #Diptera #InsectWeek #ento

Always impressed by these big horseflies - though Mrs E. does not share that fascination. These are Tabanus bromius Band-eyed Brown Horsefly #dorsetjune25

Female Chloromyia formosa fly seen at Ringstead Bay, #Dorset 26/05/25 @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social #Stratiomyidae

Incredible tufa springs seen at the former Pentremawr Colliery, Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, today - clearly decades of tufa deposits! Around the springs was Delicate Soldierfly (Oxycera nigricornis) and Giant Lacewing (Osmylus fulvicephalus), as well as caddisflies and craneflies.

Lovely day spent searching the coast path near Newgale, Pembrokeshire, for Short-necked Oil Beetle today. None found but some other invertebrates seen include Bordered Orbweaver (Neoscona adianta), Western Bee-fly (Bombylius canescens) and Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia). @wwbic1.bsky.social

There were a few Leptogaster cylindrica robberflies at #RSPBMiddletonLakes 15/06/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #robberfly #fly

Coltsfoot Pond is one of our nature hotshots in our small reserve. From 14th June. a Large Marsh Horsefly, a Grey Wagtail. a Four Spotted Chaser and a Blue-tailed Damselfly @lgspace.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Leptathrus brevirostris female egg-laying on Ribwort Plantain at Thorswood NR,Staffs. The handbook says they use grasses like Cocksfoot but no mention of Ribwort Plantain.

Finally found something from the Soldierflies book - a Robber fly at the bathroom window. Keys, I think, to Neoitamus genus - N.cyanurus perhaps?

The 1st Dioctria baumhaueri robberfly of the year seen in my #Staffs garden 31/05/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Diptera #Asilidae

Male Downland Bee-fly (Villa cingulata), freshly emerged, on a Pyramidal Orchid. Today at Murhill Bank, Winsley, #Wiltshire (near #Bath). #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #ukwildlife #insect #beefly #orchid #wildflower @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

A male Dysmachus tragonus lounging about on the allotment. #Flies #Diptera

Hatch of Black Snipefly Chrysopilus cristatus at Crown Meadow, Stone. Male and female shown.

Amazingly detailed and accurate illustrations from over 400 years ago, including horseflies and robberflies #TimeFlies

Hybomitra bimaculata ♂ today in Bengeo garden, sizeable woodland horse fly with obvious hairy eyes. Males are harmless but females are bloodsuckers though they cause no problem here. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social #Tabanidae

Reasons not to mow (14): Dioctria rufipes today on unmown lawn in Bengeo garden, common robberfly with front red legs. @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

A small glittery soldierfly roosting on our nettles this evening - Broad Centurion (Chloromyia formosa). It’s got hairy eyes too! @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Beautiful male Chloromyia formosa fly in my #Staffs garden 01/06/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Soldierfly #fly #Diptera

Rhagio scolopaceus, Downlooker Snipefly, seen on Winfrith Heath, #Dorset @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social 29/05/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Diptera

Excellent photo showing the silvery stripes on the side of the thorax that help to confirm the species

The #robberfly Neoitamus cyanurus seen at #RSPBArne 28/05/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A huge female Tabanus autumnalis horsefly seen at #RSPBArne 28/05/25 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Diptera