Promachus yesonicus

Promachus yesonicus, or shioya-abu (塩屋虻, シオヤアブ) in Japanese, is a species of robber flies. In Japanese, "shioya" means a salt merchant (someone who makes or deals in salt), and "abu" means a horse-fly. This insect is called "shioya-abu" because the males have a white tip to their tail that resembles salt.

Promachus yesonicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Asilidae
Genus:	Promachus
Species:	P. yesonicus
Binomial name
Promachus yesonicus (Bigot, 1887)

Distribution

Promachus yesonicus is found throughout Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa. They are visible from June to September.

Description

Male Promachus yesonicus have a white cotton-like bud at the end of their tails, while females do not. Adults can reach 23–30 millimetres (0.9–1.2 in) in length.^[1]

• Female Promachus yesonicus in Tokyo
• 
  Female in Tokyo, Japan
• Male in Tokyo, Japan
• 
  Male in Japan
• 
  Male in Fukuoka, Japan