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Laphria spp.
Originally I thought that I had spotted a bumblebee attacking another bug - which seemed rather odd to me. So I took several close-ups and then searched the internet until I discovered that it actually was Robber Fly (Laphria spp.).
Wooded Trail
According to Franklin County (PA) Gardeners,http://franklincountymgs.blogspot.com/2011/06/whats-that-bee-eating.html, "Tim Herr from Georgia, took of what appears to be a bumblebee sucking the juices from a beetle. This would be very un-bee-like behavior from our friendly pollinator. Bees are vegetarians, not carnivores, so what's going on? Turns out it's not a bee, but a carnivorous Robber Fly, Laphria spp. The large compound eyes are a clue, and there is only one pair of wings, which makes it definitive, belonging to the insect order Diptera (two winged), not Hymenoptera (membrane winged). After injecting the hapless meal with saliva that paralyzes and digests the prey’s bodily contents, the robber fly retires back to its perch and slurps up its insect smoothie. Although humans are never on its menu, a robber fly can inflict a painful bite if mishandled. Robber flies are not picky. The down side to their eclectic appetites is that they will dine indiscriminately on those insects we gardeners consider beneficial. The upside is that they eat harmful pests just as enthusiastically. Overall, robber flies are considered to play an important role in maintaining a healthy balance in our gardens."
Spotted on Jun 7, 2016
Submitted on Jun 13, 2016
2 Comments
Well I can't say I was actually looking for them..., but it seems that I was on a streak. Thank you for the compliment :)
You have the coolest predator-prey spottings!