Robber fly eats beetle.

[Trent Watts]

The title kind of made me think of a newspaper headline in a small town newspaper on a slow news day.
Robber flies are strange looking hairy creatures with the ability to catch other insects for a meal.
BugGuide tells me the genus and species is Laphria columbica.

 

[AlanLichty]

Wow - I never thought of flies were predators before. Your images make it clear they certainly can be. Nice capture.

 

[Trent Watts]

Wow - I never thought of flies were predators before. Your images make it clear they certainly can be. Nice capture.

Thanks Alan.

 

[Michael13]

Those beetles have it worse than federal retirees!

Excellent photo, as always!

Wow - I never thought of flies were predators before. Your images make it clear they certainly can be. Nice capture.

Alan, if you never thought of flies as predators, you should kayak the lower Green River in June, or backpack Mt. Hood in August. Bloody hell.

 

[AlanLichty]

Alan, if you never thought of flies as predators, you should kayak the lower Green River in June, or backpack Mt. Hood in August. Bloody hell.

I have been sampled by some of them in Barrier Canyon during a late July visit in a very wet summer back in 1975.

 

[Trent Watts]

Yes indeed. There are some excellent examples of flies that feast on unsuspecting hikers.
Thanks for your kind comments.

 

[MonikaC]

Good job on seeing this Trent! Nice work.

 

[JimFox]

Wow! I never knew that could happen. Good one Trent!