 The robber fly still exists at a number of sites throughout the north of the Isle of Man, including The Ayres National Nature Reserve and Manx Wildlife Trust's reserve at Cronk y Bing, where it is probably associated with dry sandy conditions (possibly its larval habitat) and vegetation such as brambles and gorse which provide perching sites.Speight noted flourishing colonies along the sandy coasts of the north-east Isle of Man in 1987.The scientific name of the species, "Machimus cowini" (Hobby, 1946), comes from the entomologist who discovered the species, W. S. Cowin.