180mph killer flies move too fast for their prey, scientists discover

Dive bombing flies which can move five times faster than falcons fly so fast that they can lose control, according to a new study by scientists from Cambridge, Lincoln and Minnesota. Killer flies, known scientifically as coenosia attenuata, beat their wings as they fall to attack prey beneath them, reaching speeds that are mor than three times the acceleration of gravity. However, researchers claim that such high speeds mean the killer fly “often misses” its prey because it is difficult for them to adjust their travel mid-dive should their target move.