Common Awl Robberfly vs Lǎohǔ

Neoitamus cyanurus compared with Panthera tigris

Key Differences

• Common Awl Robberfly is Least Concern while Lǎohǔ is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Awl Robberfly	Lǎohǔ
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Diptera (雙翅目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Asilidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Neoitamus	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Neoitamus cyanurus	Panthera tigris

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Awl Robberfly and Lǎohǔ share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

Conservation Status

Common Awl Robberfly

LC — Least Concern

Lǎohǔ

EN — Endangered

Population: ~4.5K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Awl Robberfly	Lǎohǔ
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	3.0 m
Average Weight	—	220.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Awl Robberfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Lǎohǔ

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Lǎohǔ

地球上最大的野生猫科动物，体重可超过300千克，栖息于从俄罗斯远东到东南亚的森林中。独居埋伏捕食者，具有独特的橙色和黑色条纹皮毛，在斑驳光线中提供伪装。由于偷猎和森林砍伐，野外种群减少至不足4,000只，被列为极危（CR）物种。