False Slender-footed Robberfly
Leptarthrus vitripennis
The False Slender-footed Robberfly (Leptarthrus vitripennis) is a predatory dipteran characterized by its distinctive clear wings and elongated, slender legs that give the species its common name. This aerial hunter plays a crucial ecological role as a specialist predator of smaller flying insects, helping to regulate populations of flies, mosquitoes, and other dipterans in its ecosystem.
8
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Diptera
Family
Asilidae
Genus
Leptarthrus
False Slender-footed Robberfly belongs to the family Asilidae, order Diptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
The False Slender-footed Robberfly (Leptarthrus vitripennis) is a predatory dipteran characterized by its distinctive clear wings and elongated, slender legs that give the species its common name. This aerial hunter plays a crucial ecological role as a specialist predator of smaller flying insects, helping to regulate populations of flies, mosquitoes, and other dipterans in its ecosystem.
The False Slender-footed Robberfly faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from urban development and agricultural expansion in its limited range. Climate change and pollution further threaten the specialized microhabitats this species requires for hunting and reproduction.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This species inhabits sandy coastal dunes, heathlands, and open woodland edges with sparse vegetation where it can effectively hunt from exposed perches. It requires areas with loose, well-drained soils for larval development and nearby flowering plants that support its insect prey base.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
The False Slender-footed Robberfly faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from urban development and agricultural expansion in its limited range. Climate change and pollution further threaten the specialized microhabitats this species requires for hunting and reproduction.
Agricultural intensification and land conversion
Habitat loss from urban development
Small population size and restricted range
Climate change altering microhabitat conditions
Pollution affecting prey species availability
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). False Slender-footed Robberfly (Leptarthrus vitripennis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/false-slender-footed-robberfly