robber fly
noun
: any of a family (Asilidae) of predaceous dipteran flies including some resembling bumblebees
Examples of robber fly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But to photographer Steven Mahy, finding this robber fly was a stroke of luck.
—
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
There are nearly 7,000 different species of robber flies in the world — about 1,000 in North America alone.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023
And to keep grasshoppers at bay, plant marigolds, calendula, or sunflowers nearby to attract robber flies, which attack grasshoppers.
—Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2023
The robber fly was chosen because of its highly predictable interception path to catch prey.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Feb. 2022
Karin Nordstrom at Flinders University tells Yong that this study raises the possibility that other predator insects including robber flies and dragonflies also use stereopsis.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 10 Feb. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024
There are nearly 7,000 different species of robber flies in the world — about 1,000 in North America alone.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023
And to keep grasshoppers at bay, plant marigolds, calendula, or sunflowers nearby to attract robber flies, which attack grasshoppers.
—Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2023
The robber fly was chosen because of its highly predictable interception path to catch prey.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Feb. 2022
Karin Nordstrom at Flinders University tells Yong that this study raises the possibility that other predator insects including robber flies and dragonflies also use stereopsis.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 10 Feb. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near robber fly
Cite this Entry
“Robber fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robber%20fly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share