spot-tailed lion fly - Species Profile
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List
not listed
NatureServe
not listed
Minnesota
not listed
Description
The eyes are green, sometimes with a little red. The abdomen is pale gray with a distinct, sharply delineated black stripe – “tiger stripe” – marking on the upper side of each segment.
Size
Total length: 1″ to 1¼″
Similar Species
Other giant robber flies (genus Promachus) have dark markings on the upper side of the abdomen. Only P. vertebratus has a distinct, sharply delineated black stripe – “tiger stripe” – marking on the upper portion of each segment.
Habitat
Prairies, disturbed areas.
Ecology
Season
Mid-July to early September
Behavior
It makes a loud buzzing noise as it flies.
Life Cycle
Larva Food/Hosts
Adult Food
Distribution
Sources
Promachus vertebratus (Say, 1823) in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-06-19 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgy8b
Occurrence
Common
Taxonomy
Order
Suborder
Brachycera
Infraorder
Orthorrhapha
Superfamily
Asiloidea
Family
Subfamily
Asilinae
Tribe
Apocleini
Genus
Promachus (Giant Robber Flies)
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
Asilus vertebratus
Common Names
spot-tailed lion fly
