To my dismay, this Diogmites spp. has a bee in its clutches
I saw a “hanging thief” this past week, and was dismayed that a honeybee was held in its clutches. Hanging Thieves are a type of Robber Fly (Asilidae Family). While interesting to watch, and fun to photograph, robber flies have never been a favorite of mine since it seems that any time I’ve seen their predatory behavior it is usually has a pollinator in their clutches. Eliminating wasps and bees seem counterintuitive to being a beneficial insect.
These cagey critters lie in wait on wildflowers where pollinators are sure to visit
But, you have to go beyond what may be right there before your eyes and delve a little deeper into the making of a robber fly. They have huge appetites so they help maintain the natural balance among insect populations. While, they take parasitic wasps and flies, much of their prey consists of plant-feeding insects. Robber fly larvae live in the soil or in various other decaying organic materials that occur in their environment. Larvae are also predatory, feeding on eggs, larvae, or other soft-bodied insects. We must keep in mind that what goes on in the ground where we don’t see, might just be the more beneficial aspect of a given species.
Robber Flies are funky looking critters
The noticeable predation on bees has given the Mallophora species of Robber Flies the common name of “Bee Killers”. Not a testimony to my wanting them in the garden. But, the Bee Killers are ectoparasites on scarabaeid beetle grubs. Ahhh…they have won my heart. Kill those darn June Bugs in the making with my blessings!
The Bee Killers are even bee mimics
They can be a colorful group
So, they have their rung in the food chain and I will have to overlook the fact that when they are most visible, they might just behave in a manner that I don’t agree with. Ahh, nature. A delicate balancing act. You have to take the good with the bad…and are we humans really equipped to make the decision on which insect is more worthy than another? Aesthetics shouldn’t be a deciding factor. We need to look beyond the beauty of a butterfly or dragonfly and consider that a grub may just have an equally important role in the scheme of things. My advice is to not use personal aesthetic perceptions in making environmental decisions. After all, who wouldn’t choose a beautiful and cute lion cub over some pasty looking human. Food for thought!
© 2012, Loret T. Setters. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
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Very interesting! I need to keep watch for these robbers.
thevioletfern recently posted..What’s Blooming: Gold, Fire & Lime
I neglected to mention that they can give a pretty hefty bite, so when watching…..WATCH OUT lol
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Interesting post with “food” for thought~ Every creature has its place & purpose, even if we don’t know what it is. Rooting for the lion cub over the pasty human, though
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Rerouting the Rain
lol Kathy….that pasty human better not be ME! hehe
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Sound advice. I just love how much I learn about insects from you Loret. I do need to find time to get more photos and identify the flying insects especially around the garden…Fascinating critter.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Bloom Day a Bust-Almost
Based on all of your great gardening habitat advice, I think you use your time wisely in your garden creation, Donna. The bugs will still be out there!
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Loret,
Fantastic photos. Thanks as always for a insect-filled post.
Of course, the honeybee is not native, so maybe an important native bee gets to live for another day or two.
Ginny Stibolt recently posted..Not more queen palms!
Thanks Ginny!
I didn’t think about the honeybee being exotic…good point Ginny! I was torn between two similar photos of the hanging thief, the other from a few years back showed him clutching a native poliste wasp species. Now I see I made the right choice. GO NATIVE BUGS!
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
This is fascinating, Loret. Now, if only I could find the ecological value of mosquitoes
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..The 5 Pillars of Ecosystem Gardening
my aquatic dragonfly nymphs are holding up the “we love mosquitoes” signs.
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Wonderful post! I photographed robber flies mating last year in my garden and it was pretty cool! Your photo of the robber fly pouncing on the bee is amazing! I hope they will be eating lots of my Japanese Beetles and leave my bees alone but that is probably asking too much!
you caught them “in the act”? That would be my dream shot!
Oh, it’s not too much to ask that the beetles are done in while the bees live. We can always use the wishful thinking to hope that the critters we enjoy the sight of are the ones that are overlooked by the predators. Keep dreaming!
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Loret, thanks for your great photographs and information. I’m not sure whether I have Robber Flies in the backyard or not but I’ll be watching for them. I especially appreciate your last paragraph. So easy to look at nature from my own short-sighted perspective and forget the importance of nature’s “delicate balancing act”. Thanks for the reminder.
Betty Hall recently posted..Kids’ Caterpillar Weekend, Aug. 24 & 25 at Natural Bridge State Park
Thanks Betty!
As can be seen from my mostly BUGGY posts, I root for the underappreciated. Even the icky things make good bird food
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
Loret, what an amazing shot!! I love it! Plus I never heard of robber flies. Your expertise with insects is most laudable. Bug lover/appreciators have a very hard job convincing the public of the positives of insects, and kudos for all you do along those lines!
sue dingwell recently posted..Success with Urban Wildlife!
Thanks Sue,
Took 56 years, twitter and a digital camera to get me bugified. Amazing the hobbies and education we can find in the second half of our first century.
Thanks for the compliment on the photo. I always love and am amazed when I get that winning shot…of course there are 100 out of focus losers for every one winner.
Loret recently posted..Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style
well said..”My advice is to not use personal aesthetic perceptions in making environmental decisions. After all, who wouldn’t choose a beautiful and cute lion cub over some pasty looking human. Food for thought!”…Michelle
Rambling Woods recently posted..Female Monarch Butterfly Getting Ready For Release On My Porch
I have never seen these critters and I spend a long time in my gardens!