Cheetah vs Common Awl Robberfly

Acinonyx jubatus compared with Neoitamus cyanurus

Key Differences

• Cheetah is Vulnerable while Common Awl Robberfly is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cheetah	Common Awl Robberfly
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order	Carnivora (хищные)	Diptera (двукрылые)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Asilidae
Genus	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)	Neoitamus
Species	Acinonyx jubatus	Neoitamus cyanurus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cheetah and Common Awl Robberfly share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (животные)

Conservation Status

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Awl Robberfly

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cheetah	Common Awl Robberfly
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	12 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	50.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Awl Robberfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.

Common Awl Robberfly

<em>Neoitamus cyanurus</em>, commonly known as the Common Awl Robberfly, is a predatory dipteran insect in the family Asilidae. This species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is distributed across northern and western Europe, including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Like all robber flies, the Common Awl Robberfly is an active aerial predator that captures other flying insects in mid-flight, using its strong legs and piercing mouthparts to subdue and consume prey. Adults typically frequent open and semi-open habitats such as forest clearings, heathlands, and sunny woodland edges where prey insects are abundant. The larvae are believed to develop in soil or decaying wood, where they feed on other invertebrate larvae. Adults are typically observed perching on bare ground or low vegetation, from which they launch short, rapid flights to intercept passing prey. Their robust build, bristly body, and forward-pointing beak are characteristic features of the Asilidae family. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.