I think this insect is fairly common, but I don't know what is. Could someone point me in the right direction?
I think, given how elaborate his/her legs and body are, that the short, stubby antennae are amusing.
Thank you very much....
This message was edited Aug 15, 2008 10:26 AM
This is a robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) in the genus Diogmites - see http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/86573247
Robber flies are voracious ambush predators on other small arthropods; large specimens can give you a painful bite if mishandled.
Thanks again. Wonder if he was hunting the sphex wasps from my other post.
Robber Flies sound like something I'm very glad are very small. Well, they're large compared to a lot of other bugs, but it's moot given the size of us.
Here's a quote I came across:
"Adults have piercing-sucking mouthparts. Adult robber flies perch on stems of low plants or other objects and attack prey in the air. They feed on bees, beetles, dragonflies, other flies, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, wasps, and other insects. Larvae live in the soil, in wood and other habitats, feeding on organic matter, other arthropods such as white grubs, beetle pupae and grasshopper egg masses, and they may be carnivorous."
-from http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg228.html
