Blepharotes coriarius

The giant yellow robber fly is found in the Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.^[4]

Adults can be found from December to February.^[3] They are usually seen resting on dead plants, with the body aligned vertically and the head pointing upwards.^[3] Insect prey are taken in the air after the fly launches itself from a vantage point.^[3] Recorded prey items include beetles, bees, wasps and flying ants.^[3] Feeding time varies from less than two minutes (for a large ant) up to 17 minutes (for a scarab beetle).^[3]

Males of B. coriarius attempt to mate with any member of the same species (whether male or female) that enters their territory, which is usually the area around a dead tree.^[3] Intruding males are driven off by this.^[3] A few minutes after successful copulation, females begin laying eggs into gaps of dead eucalypts, or into cracks in the ground at the base of such trees.^[3] She generally begins oviposition in the top soil, before gradually flying up the tree, depositing more eggs as she goes.^[3]

Pupae first emerge from the soil at the beginning of December.^[3] The pupal cases are around 35mm long, with reddish brown spines and processes glistening reddish brown to dark brown.^[3]