Attention … Bee-like robber fly
Hi Bugman:
I was photographing damselflies this past weekend when this robber fly flew past my face and landed on a nearby leaf. Obviously it was interested in damselflies as well. I don’t think there is a common name for this creature other than bee-like, beeish or bumblebee robber fly in the genus Laphria. I believe this is L. janus, but perhaps you could confirm this for me. The photo was taken along a forest trail in an aspen parkland area of southwest Manitoba. Thanks, and regards.
Karl

Hi Karl,
Your Bee-Like Robber Fly is in the genus Laphria, and it doesn’t exactly match any of the species on BugGuide. We tried searching for photos of Laphria janus online but our intermittant connectivity problem returned. When our connectivity returned, we found some support to your identification and we agree this is Laphria janus. A Robber Fly webpage makes this observation: “Note the contrast in the hair color from thorax to abdomen. And note the thoracic hair is not in a triangular and elongate arrangement and it is not spread over the whole thorax. Also note the heavy golden beard and mystax of the female. “

Location is Hawthorne, CA – Volucella bombylans?
Dear Bugman,
I emailed you a while ago with a blurry photo of something I’d not seen before. Today I was able to get sharp shots of this bug and it’s prey. I’ve attached two of them in hopes that you will be able to tell me if it is a hoverfly. Thanks for your time! I’m in Hawthorne, California – please don’t send me directly to the Trash!!! Sincerely,
Anna Carreon

Hi Anna,
This is a species of Robber Fly known as a Bee Killer. It is Mallophora fautrix, which accoring to BugGuide, is the only species in the genus found in California. We received another photo a few days ago. Putting an unusual scientific name in your subject line was a good way to get our attention.

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your information. A cousin of mine saw the posting of the Mallophora fautrix posted on your site and emailed me about it (I hadn’t been out to the site since the day before it was posted). What an interesting creature this is! I’d never seen one before, and my mother, who lives .3 miles away, is now in search of one in her back yard. She says she’s never seen one in her 77 years of life and she’s determined to see one in her next 77 years.
Anna

wasps
I just came across your website (thanks to Google) because I was trying to identify a wasp that we had never seen before. We live in southeastern Massachusetts and have just recently seen this wasp and, until today, had only seen one, but today we saw two. So I went to your website to try to identify it, but I couldn’t be absolutely sure of the markings, so I went outside to take some pictures of it. Boy, did I get a bonus!!! One of the wasps came home with a huge bug which I assume is some sort of cicada. Can you tell I’m not into insects?!? I was lucky enough to get a couple of pictures of the wasp with its prey as well as its nest. Hope you can use them on your site. If you can give me any information on these wasps, I would appreciate it. Thanks and keep up the good work on your website.
Susan Augustus
South Dartmouth, MA

Hi Susan,
Your Cicada Killer Wasp is living up to its name. The larval wasps feed entirely on Cicadas that have been paralyzed by the female wasp. Male Cicada Killers, which do not sting, often act aggressively when defending their territory.

Solpugid
For years I had thought that Solpugids were ‘Vinegaroons’ because when we moved up here (Mojave Desert) that is what we were told. We were also told that they if you were biten by one, you’d taste vinegar for a week or two. I know better now and I am very, very jealous that the Solpugids you have posted on your site are bigger than any of the ones I have seen. I usually only see babies/teens. I was out an hour ago looking at a baby Mantis when I saw this fight going on between a baby Solpugid and some kind of beetle. Don’t know if you will read this but thought you might enjoy this picture anyway. I felt bad for that beetle.
K

Hi K,
Please don’t have Solpugid envy. Your photo is, we believe, the first we have received of a Solpugid eating. We will also post your image to our Food Chain section. We think the prey is a Ground Beetle, but the photo hasn’t enough detail to be certain.

A few questions regarding a caterpillar
Hi Bugman,
I came across your site when I was trying to figure out what monstrous spider was creeping on my shower ceiling last night. After finding out that you’re THE go-to people for identifying photos of bugs, I thought I’d throw a few your way. We live in southern California and this is a caterpillar that my son found on our fence a few weeks ago, that was starting to make its chrysalis. The next day the chrysalis was fully formed and I realized that there were several other chrysalises along that same fence. I guess that’s the hot spot for them. Anyway, when I looked at some of the other ones, I discovered that one was being invaded by other bugs. Attached are the picture of the caterpillar and of the invaded chrysalis. My questions for you are: Is this a fritillary caterpillar (the only one on your site that closely resembles what I have)? What will the butterfly look like when it comes out? It’s already been 3 weeks – how much longer before the butterfly emerges? Are the bugs on the chrysalis the braconid wasp and were they in the caterpillar before it started the metamorphosis? OK, those are all my questions. Thank you for putting up a wonderfully informative website! My 3.5 year-old son and I have been looking at many of your photos today.
Gina

Hi Gina,
Calling us the “go to people” is quite a compliment. This are photos of stages of metamorphosis of the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, a pretty orange butterfly with metallic markings that feeds on passion vine. The adult butterflies should be emerging soon if they have not been parasitized. The Braconid parasitization may have occured at the caterpillar stage or the chrysalis stage.

Correction: (05/18/2008)
Hi, Daniel: My only itty-bitty correction today is that the wasps on the gulf fritillary chrysalis are not braconids. They are some kind of chalcid wasp instead. Chalcids comprise several entire families of insects, so without a microscope and the specimens, no one is likely to be able to say which wasps, exactly, to genus or species. Chalcid larvae typically develop within the caterpillar, but emerge from the chrysalis. All the other recent posts are dead on, including the big African assassin bug. Well done (insert applause here):-)
Eric Eaton

Assassin Bug follow up
A couple of days ago I sent a photo of an Assassin Bug, I think its in the Nymph stage. I’m keeping a close eye on the plant that has the Assassins on it. I went to the pet shop to buy some small crickets to stage an assassination. When I went to the plant, one of the nymphs had just taken another unknown bug. I took several pictures of the carnage. After a while I took off the back jumping legs of a small cricket, just pinch the upper part of the jumper and it falls off. I fed the prey to the aggressive hunter who took it immediately. While photographing the action, another Nymph joined in. It was quite the tug of war. They seemed to settle down after a few minutes and proceeded in what would be one of my worst nightmares. I hope you can tell me what kind of Assassin this is and what it may turn into. I have attached three new photos, 1 is what you consider carnage of the predators natural prey. 2 is a staged assassination of a store bought cricket. 3 A colossal battle of two creatures that may or may not be from another planet.Thanks
Danny

Hi Danny,
Thanks for sending your exciting letter and wonderful photographs. We pondered the merits of the natural predation versus the feeding intervention, and opted for the sensationalism of the “tug of war” between two Pselliopus Assassin Bug Nymphs and the store bought Cricket. Assassin Bugs in this genus are known as Sycamore Assassin Bugs.