Maybe a Golden Back Snipe Fly?
This thing was big! I’ve seen a couple of these buzzing around a flowering shrub this summer. This one had gotten trapped in our screened back porch. It buzzed around like mad, then settled down so I photographed it at length. Then it dropped down dead. Must have been the 108 degree temperature. It’s been mighty hot here in the Ozarks the past week or so. And bone dry. I cropped and compressed this photo so it wouldn’t be huge. I have numerous HQ photos of this insect if you want. I’m sure it’s a "fly" of some sort, just unsure as to what. Thanks!
Gary Parnell
Mnt. Home, AR
Hi Gary,
This is one of the Giant Robber Flies, the Red Footed Cannibalfly, Promachus rufipes. It is also known as a Bee Panther. BugGuide has some great photos.
Huge Wasp found in my pool
My niece found this huge wasp in our pool today and we are curious about what it is and if we should be worried. I have never noticed one around the house before, but then again I let the bees and wasp do there business so I never pay that much attention (I leave them alone, they leave me alone). He was dead by time we found him so after taking our pictures we dropped him onto a spider web and came inside to see if we could identify it on your site, no luck. I cannot get anymore pictures or info because within a few minutes the spider had taken him into his lair 
Kristy Fedyk
Hi Kristy,
We believe this is a female Red Footed Cannibalfly, Promachus rufipes, one of the Giant Robber Flies. If handled, they are capable of biting, but they are much more interested in capturing other winged prey. They are also known as Bee Panthers.
Monarch Bodysnatchers
Hello, Bugman,
I recently placed 2 large monarch caterpillars in an terrarium with some milkweed, so I could watch them go through metamorphosis. All was well… at first. One morning, I found one of the caterpillars hanging from under a branch, as though ready to pupate, but it was dead, shriveled, and and clear strands hanging from it. There were two small, yellow maggots in the tank, as well as a red pupa. After a bit of searching, I found this site http://www.monarchlab.umn.edu /research/PNE/creasey.aspx . Apparently, an introduced tachinid fly, Lespesia archippivora, was brought over to control cutworms, but attacks non-target species like monarchs as well. Fortunately, the other caterpillar seems to have dodged the bullet, and has formed a lovely chrysalis. Regards,
Emily
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| Monarch Caterpillar |
Monarch Chrysalis |
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your wonderful letter, excellent photos, precise documentation, and technical research. Though we approve of biological control methods over pesticides, we always question the introduction of biological agents before the total ramifications of the actions are made apparent.
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| Parasitized Monarch Caterpillar |
Tachinid Fly larvae and pupa |
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Posted 05 August 2007
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Cicada killer wasp or asilid fly
Good Morning
My wife and I took these pictures and others of what I think is a cicada killer wasp but not sure because of solid color. He/She has no spots but has the body of cicada killer wasp. Would be interested if this is a cicada killer wasp. We had a local opinion that this was a "asilid" fly mimicking a cicada killer but I questioned that because of size and no hairy patches. The size is approximately 5 centimeters head to tail and a wing span tip to tip 5.1 centimeters. We live in Bloomington IL, McLean County 61701. I have pasted one shot and attached others. Regards
Tim Lee
Hi Tim,
This is a Mydas Fly, most probably Mydas tibialis based on the coloration. It could be another member of the genus though as the body appears more robust than the images posted on BugGuide. This is the third excellent photo of this species submitted in the last ten days.
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Posted 26 July 2007
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This one is still alive!
Dear Bugman,
My husband took this picture after watching it lure a wasp with the thing on it’s head. When the wasp got within range it grabbed it, did something to it and let it fall to the ground. The wasp appeared stunned or dying and was unable to fly. We live in the country in West Central Indiana. We try not to kill anything if we don’t have to. This Insect is sitting on a Rose of Sharon Bush. It is about 2 inches long, black with orange legs and an orange thing sticking out of it’s head. Since I am allergic to wasps I am hoping this is something I want around my house since I have quite a problem with wasps. Is this insect going to be a problem for me though also? Please could you identify this insect for us? Thank You,
Annette & Carl J.
Gosport, IN
Hi Annette and Carl,
This is a Mydas Fly, Mydas tibialis. According to BugGuide: “Some adults, especially males, take nectar. Adults, long thought to be predatory, are perhaps not! Some females do not feed as adults. Larvae are predators of larval beetles, mostly.” Your observation of this specimen attacking a wasp is quite interesting.
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Posted 24 July 2007
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Can you identify this bug?
Hope you can help as this bug has "attacked" two different people – one in Georgia and one in Kentucky. Thanks.
Nebby McMahon
Hi Nebby,
Wow, that Hanging Thief, a type of Robber Fly, has really chocked up the mileage if it traveled between Georgia and Kentucky.
???
Dear Bug Folk (or bug-knowledgable artists),
Hope you’re still answering queries. What’s my bug? Almost a blue iridescent tinge to the body in bright sun. A little scary!!
Thanks, Sue Lenaerts
Hi Sue,
Mydas Flies are harmless, but we were unfamiliar with this species with orange legs and antennae. Searching BugGuide led us to Mydas tibialis.
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Posted 17 July 2007
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Hey Bugman,
Love your site and use it a lot. I believe this is a new born
Carpenter bee. I watched and listened to a Queen bore a nest in the railing of my deck this spring. This morning I found this on a leaf below where the hole from the nest is. I thought I would share with you and your followers these pictures of a new born. It has quite a "cute" pig like face and exclamation points in it’s eyes. Thank you,
Glenn
Chicago, Illinois
Hi Glenn,
You are mistaken in your identification. This is not a bee, but a fly. It is a Bot Fly to be exact. Bot Flies are mammalian endoparasites. There are species in the tropics whose larvae live inside human hosts, but the North American species are parasitic on rodents. They are also called Warble Flies. Eric Eaton has this to add: “Hi, Daniel: The bot fly is another species in the genus Cuterebra, the rabbit and rodent bot flies. The red in the eyes is characteristic of some species. Don’t know if there is a good website on them, but there is a great technical book on them with some nice images and lots of information on their bizarre biology…. Eric”
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Posted 16 July 2007
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Wasp ID
I found this "wasp" or hornet making a nest in an old stump in Connecticut. It was a hot day and there were many of them. What kind is it?
Gary
Hi Gary,
This is not a wasp, but a Mydas Fly. Mydas Flies are often mistaken for wasps. According to our Audubon Guide: “The slender larvae, which reach 1 1/2″ (38mm) when fully grown, live in soil or rotting wood and prey on beetle larvae.” The nest building you thought you observed has two possible explanations in our minds, though the two explanations might be combined. You might have seen a mass emergence of adults from their larval home after metamorphosis or you might have seen a congregation of mating adults laying eggs where the larvae will have a ready food source. You might even have seen the mass emergence of adults and the subsequent mating, with the next generation occupying the ancestral home. Adult flies eat caterpillars, bees, other flies and hemipterans.
Thanks for the info. Dan. I’m not an entomologist, but have a strong interest in nature an photography. My old maple stump (about 1 m. in diameter and dead about 7 years has been a great source of amusement. Every year some new mammal, fungus or group of insects appear!) Keep up your good service to curious people.
Gary
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Posted 09 July 2007
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This bug is big…
Dear Bugman,
I found this bug on our inside garage window, Buffalo, WY (high desert). I thought the noise must be coming from a large bee or something because of the loudness of the buzzing. I have looked some on the internet, but can’t seem to find a match. I hope some of the pics are helpful. It is an inch long from front to back of the wing. If you look it in the face, it looks like a bulldog.It has a kind of shell over its thorax, similar to a beetle. It’s mainly curiosity to know what it is, as we have only seen one. However, we do have small children and a dog, so if it’s a nasty, I need to know. Thanks!
darla. Buffalo, WY
Hi Darla,
This amazing creature is a Bot Fly or Warble Fly. The larvae of Bot Flies are endoparasites. Most North American species have rodents as host, but tropical species are human parasites. Bot Flies are in the family Oestridae, and New World species are in the subfamily Cuterebrinae. Though there is a Central American species of Bot Fly that will parasitize humans, the North American species are harmless unless you are a squirrel or rabbit.
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Posted 07 July 2007
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Large black and grey fly
Hello,
My name is Dacon, and I live in Wisconsin. The other night my family and I were getting ready to have a meal in our gazebo, when I noticed this large fly on the inside wall of the gazebo. I tried to catch it in a can, but slipped up. However, it did perch on the edge if the lid for a close-up. It was grey and black with black wings, plus two stubby wings or horns just in front of the wings. It was also about an inch long, and thich bodied. I have searched for an identity, but have been unsuccessful. Please help. Thank you for your time.
Hi Dacon,
This amazing creature is a Bot Fly or Warble Fly. The larvae of Bot Flies are endoparasites. Most North American species have rodents as host, but tropical species are human parasites. Bot Flies are in the family Oestridae, and New World species are in the subfamily Cuterebrinae.
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Posted 03 July 2007
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