It has a short proboscis with a piercing organ called hypopharynx to inject a neurotoxin to its preys.

[1] A proboscis is a part of the insect mouth which is used to suck nectar or blood and usually its shape is tubular.

It has hairy legs and wide eyes that give it a good 3D vision.

[4] It prefers grassland and silver tussock[5] to live, so can be found widely distributed across New Zealand.

[10] The common robber fly can occasionally eat the queen of Solenopsis (ant) species during nuptial flights.