Cliff Stiletto

The Cliff Stiletto is a member of the stiletto fly family Therevidae, a family of predatory flies whose larvae inhabit soil, sand, and decomposing wood. Stiletto flies are slender, pointed-bodied dipterans with a sharp-tipped abdomen, giving rise to the family name. Adults are typically found basking on sun-exposed surfaces including cliff faces, rocky ground, and sandy banks, where they hunt other small insects. The larvae of most Therevidae species are predatory soil-dwellers, feeding on other invertebrate larvae in loose, sandy, or gritty substrates. Cliff-associated species may exploit the loose, dry substrates in cliff-face crevices and the compacted soils of cliff bases as larval habitat. The family Therevidae is distributed globally, with greatest diversity in xeric and Mediterranean-climate regions where open, sandy, or gravelly habitats are prevalent. Stiletto flies as a group have received relatively little study compared to larger fly families, and the taxonomy, host associations, and conservation status of many species remain poorly documented. Adults are often short-lived and are found only during the warmer months when insect activity is highest on cliff and rocky habitat.