aph ria , ▁the ▁be e - like ▁rob ber ▁f lies , ▁is ▁a ▁genus ▁described ▁by ▁Johann ▁Wilhelm ▁Me igen ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 , ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁family ▁As il idae , ▁sub family ▁L aph ri inae . ▁This ▁genus ▁has ▁a ▁Hol ar ctic ▁distribution , ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁Europe , ▁Asia , ▁and ▁North ▁America . ▁They ▁generally ▁pre y ▁on ▁insect s ▁of ▁various ▁species , ▁including ▁other ▁rob ber ▁f lies , ▁be es , ▁was ps ▁and ▁be et les . ▁Their ▁characteristic ▁mouth ▁allow ▁the ▁species ▁of ▁L aph ria ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁their ▁s cler ot ized ▁prob os cis ▁in ▁between ▁the ▁el y tra ▁of ▁pre yed ▁be et les . ▁All ▁the ▁pre ys ▁are ▁dissol ved ▁by ▁special ▁en zym es ▁inject ed ▁in ▁their ▁bodies , ▁which ▁are ▁then ▁su ck ed ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁pred ator . ▁ ▁The ▁adult s ▁average ▁sizes ▁reach ▁. ▁These ▁huge ▁rob ber ▁f lies ▁are ▁quite ▁hair y ▁and ▁their ▁body ▁is ▁usually ▁black , ▁while ▁some ▁have ▁be e - m im ick ing ▁ab dom ens ▁with ▁black ▁and ▁yellow ▁stri pes ▁( See ▁L aph ria ▁thor ac ica ). ▁They ▁can ▁be ▁encountered ▁from ▁July ▁through ▁September . ▁ ▁Species ▁ ▁Select ▁species ▁include : ▁ ▁L aph ria ▁aff in is ▁Mac qu art , ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁L aph ria ▁akt is ▁Mc ate e , ▁ 1