CLOSED: I don't know WHAT this thing is!

San Antonio, TX

Ok this guy/gal showed up on my deck about 2:00am last night. I go out on the deck many times at night so I would think it actually landed on my deck (flying at night?). It was flopping around in obvious distress and eventually died. I have never seen anything like it before here in south Texas.

I have looked all over the internet and have a couple of possibilities but have found zero pictures clearly identifying it.


1. Carpenter bee - Mine is longer and more narrow, easily 3 inches, covered in 'fur', has large 'lobster' claws and longer wings. It also has smaller claws but the larger ones are easily seen in the picture.

2. Mantid fly - They are much smaller, multi colored and lack the 'fur'.


Thanks for any info. Myself, my wife and several 100 Facebook friends are curious.


Any help would be great!


Thumbnail by TMWTim Thumbnail by TMWTim Thumbnail by TMWTim
Minot, ND

This is a robber fly (family Asilidae) in the genus Mallophora - it is known as the black bee killer.
See http://greglasley.com/nonBirds/mallophoraleschenaulti.html for another example.

San Antonio, TX

That's got to be it. Thanks for the info! It's large 'claws' were throwing me off. Interesting read that it attacks bees and hornets.

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
BACK TO TOP