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what the hell is this (bug)?


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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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
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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.
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