Mallophora ruficauda is a species of parasitic robber fly in the family Asilidae, endemic to South and Central America.

M. ruficauda (like other members of the genus Mallophora) mimics a bumblebee to fool predators into thinking it has a painful sting and is not worth eating.

The head is black and the face is covered in white hairs, which are also found on the ventral side of the femora, tibia, and tarsale of the third pair of legs in males.

M. ruficauda is endemic to South and Central America, and is primarily present in the open grasslands and meadows where it lays its eggs.

[3] Researchers have shown that M. ruficauda antennae are involved in resource-searching behavior, in addition to detecting outside chemical cues that the flies are able to pick up on.

[6] Eggs are laid in aggregate clusters of approximately 300 on the tips of tall stalks of grass or wire fencing.

[12] In addition, some studies have suggested that high environmental temperatures increase the probability that the host will successfully kill its parasitoid.

[12] M. ruficauda may prefer Cyclocephala in particular because these beetles have a relatively low behavioral reaction to simulated parasitoid attacks; their poor immunological defense strategies make them an easier target for the larvae.

The adult fly leaves the pupa and emerges from the soil about 2 months after the eggs first hatched, and begins to prey upon bees and other insects.

The female's signal to the male that she accepts him is subtle and still not understood; unless she flies away, she remains motionless throughout most of the courtship other than the occasional movements of her wings.

[16] Instead, gravid flies lay their eggs at the optimal height on tall plants or wire fences in their meadow habitats.

The flies are large and plump, covered in black and yellow fuzzy hair, and buzz like bees do during flight.

Members of the genus Mallophora across the Americas cause problems for beekeepers by killing their honeybees, which have become one of their preferred foods even though these bees are not native to the region.