About Blepharotes splendidissimus (Wiedemann, 1830)
Blepharotes splendidissimus is a species of robber fly belonging to the family Asilidae, native to eastern Australia. This species can be identified by its shiny black abdomen and dark brown wings. It ranks as the second largest species within its genus Blepharotes. Adults measure around 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in body length, with a wingspan of 4 centimeters (1.6 inches). It was first formally described in 1830 by German naturalist Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann, under the original name Laphria splendidissima. Naturalist Walter Wilson Froggatt recorded that this species was commonly encountered in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
