Machimus gonatistes
Local name: Gul skægrovflue
Gul skægrovflue (Machimus gonatistes) is a large, robust robber fly characterized by its distinctive yellow coloration and prominent bristly 'beard' of setae around the face. As an apex aerial predator, this species plays a crucial role in controlling populations of other flying insects, including flies, bees, and beetles, which it captures during dramatic mid-air hunts.
13
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Diptera
Family
Asilidae
Genus
Machimus
Machimus gonatistes belongs to the family Asilidae, order Diptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Gul skægrovflue (Machimus gonatistes) is a large, robust robber fly characterized by its distinctive yellow coloration and prominent bristly 'beard' of setae around the face. As an apex aerial predator, this species plays a crucial role in controlling populations of other flying insects, including flies, bees, and beetles, which it captures during dramatic mid-air hunts.
Machimus gonatistes, a robber fly species, faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and sandy habitat requirements. The species has an extremely limited distribution range, making it highly vulnerable to local environmental changes and human disturbance. Climate change and coastal development further threaten the remaining suitable habitats.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Machimus gonatistes inhabits sun-exposed, extensively grazed grasslands and heathlands with scattered shrubs and abundant wildflowers. The species requires areas with bare ground patches for territorial perching combined with diverse flowering plants that attract the wide variety of prey insects essential for its survival.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Machimus gonatistes, a robber fly species, faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and sandy habitat requirements. The species has an extremely limited distribution range, making it highly vulnerable to local environmental changes and human disturbance. Climate change and coastal development further threaten the remaining suitable habitats.
Coastal development and urbanization
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Limited distribution range
Climate change and sea level rise
Human disturbance of sandy coastal habitats
Found in 13 Countries
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). Machimus gonatistes (Machimus gonatistes). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/gul-skgrovflue