what the hell is this (bug)?

[Science Abuse]

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/1669/bugrf3.jpg

Just found this guy outside munching on a bee, caught him with my kids butterfly net. As big as a hornet and just as scary. I put him in a jar out in the sun for a few hours, no way I'm handling one of these alive.

 

What is it? Predatory, long legs with hooks, horsefly head, fuckin scary.

[Cordell]

Wow that thing looks like some hornet mated with a spider. Let us know if you find out what that is.

[Tractor]

Neat bug, nice pic, no idea either.

 

Evan

[TheHaze]

Looks like a tiny dragonfly. Creepy as hell. Why didn't you just take a picture of it alive and let it go?

[TTQ B4U]

x2....baby Dragon Fly IMO.

 

 

Looks like a tiny dragonfly. Creepy as hell. Why didn't you just take a picture of it alive and let it go?

[TheHaze]

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh219/blackrose3k2009/FANTASY/BabyDragonfly.jpg

 

Yep, looks just like it.

[Guest tbutera2112]

i googled baby dragonfly and got this...

 

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/49789953_639a8d12f1.jpg

[TheHaze]

Yeah, on second thought, it's probably something else. It looks like it only has 2 wings.

[TTQ B4U]

Here's likely what you saw: Looks like it's a robber fly. aka a "Bee Killer" because they are often observed catching bumble bees.

 

Good info here:

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg228.html

 

http://bugguide.net/images/cache/MZOLSZCLFLSHKRCZ0RTZQR3ZLZELLZFZ6RKHERVLJLCZQRWLLZOLMZVL0Z2L0ZCL2R3ZZZ3ZFL6LZZDZ0R2LKR.jpg

 

http://bugguide.net/images/cache/HZ9LYLWLKZYZ4RSH2R3ZKRDZ0RTZZZ2LLZTLGRZHIZDLRZCL4RZHIZAL2R3Z0RELZZOLMZNL0R3ZZZNLYLWLXRSH2R.jpg

[Science Abuse]

Looks like a tiny dragonfly. Creepy as hell. Why didn't you just take a picture of it alive and let it go?

Because he just wasn't having that. I considered it important enough to put him down: my kid plays where these live, I want to know what it is.

 

100% sure it's not a dragonfly. It's certainly no baby, it has more mass than any adult dragonfly I've seen in the region. He's 35mm nose to tail.

 

Robber fly looks right: looking up now.

[justinwebb]

that is a freaky ass bug i hope i never see it anywhere

[caseyctsv]

Here's likely what you saw: Looks like it's a robber fly.

 

Good info here:

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg228.html

 

http://bugguide.net/images/cache/MZOLSZCLFLSHKRCZ0RTZQR3ZLZELLZFZ6RKHERVLJLCZQRWLLZOLMZVL0Z2L0ZCL2R3ZZZ3ZFL6LZZDZ0R2LKR.jpg

 

http://bugguide.net/images/cache/HZ9LYLWLKZYZ4RSH2R3ZKRDZ0RTZZZ2LLZTLGRZHIZDLRZCL4RZHIZAL2R3Z0RELZZOLMZNL0R3ZZZNLYLWLXRSH2R.jpg

 

Think you nailed it - look at the ends of the legs.

[Orion]

its a robber fly, eric. more specifically, a giant one from the genus "promachus". google it, youll find that they can be pretty nasty.

 

heres some research ive done for you. interestingly enough, its also called a "bee-killer fly".

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bugguide.net/images/cache/SKUKZKNKMKO09QA0PQLSUQJ05KDKMKVKIKZSBQ309QLSAQTKMKCKMKZSPQZS5KBKAQZS7KAK7K1KIKLSVQHS8KJ0.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bugguide.net/node/view/27868&h=429&w=560&sz=26&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=xGzw2OV6w_YTOM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbee%2Beating%2Bfly%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff

[Orion]

rats, beaten by 5 minutes. perhaps i will take solace in the fact that i didnt have to look it up to know that. spend enough months at summer camp, you get to know lots of bugs pretty well.

[Guest tbutera2112]

fuck that...i had 2 of those fuckers fly into my truck at my dads when i was drivin through his trails...theyre big and they scared the shit outta me lol i stopped and got out until they left

[FourString]

The damn thing has CLAWS

[TheHaze]

Because he just wasn't having that. I considered it important enough to put him down: my kid plays where these live, I want to know what it is.

 

Good reason.

 

I hope I don't have nightmares of these things now.

[Kevin R.]

Fuck that shit. It is like a flying spider bee hornet. Fuck bugs.

[zeitgeist57]

It needs to be a "yellow-jacket killer" fly. Fuck hornets, wasps and yellow jackets. Bumble bees FTW...they pollinate my garden.

 

Never seen a robber fly, and I hope this thread is the extent of my observation of one.

[evan9381]

musta been a day for bug pics. snapped this pic of a moth that flew in when i went to tend to the grill.

 

cool design on it.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/evan938/IMG_1672.jpg?t=1219034033

[Duff1647545513]

manbearpig

 

 

has my vote

[2 Sweet]

Fuck that shit. It is like a flying spider bee hornet. Fuck bugs.

 

+1, shits creepy

[morabu]

yeah, fuck that thing!

thank God insects aren't our size, we would be waaaayyyyy down on the food chain

[ImUrOBGYN]

Must've missed this thread. It's 100% a Robber fly. They normally land and straddle things (will occasionally catch things on the fly), then impale them with their proboscis and suck the juices from them. Of course, that could be a little painful, though I've never been attacked by one and have seen lots of them. Even caught them attacking other creatures. Always cool to see mother nature in action.

[Alex L.]

This makes me want to stay in the house.