Subject: Big red mosquito bug
Geographic location of the bug: Tyler, TX
Date: 06/28/2018
Time: 11:02 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I found this in my house. We have the Saharan Dust (a rare phenomenon hitting East Texas right now.) I’m wondering if it is some sort of African bug that made its way to East Texas. It mad a lot of noise when it was flying.
How you want your letter signed: Emily Ingram
Dear Emily,
This is a Hanging Thief, a species of Robber Fly in the genus Diogmites, and they are native to North America, so it did not cross the Atlantic ocean from Africa to enter your home. Like other Robber Flies, Hanging Thieves are beneficial predators that capture flying insects which they feed upon by hanging, often from a single leg, hence the common name Hanging Thief. We hope you have a catch and release policy for beneficial insects that have accidentally wandered into your home.