HUGE armored fly type creature eating bee - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

ConsiderThis · 09-14-2008, 03:27 PM

I was out in my garden a moment ago and thought I saw a large grasshopper, only upon closer inspection it was a fly that looked battle ready and it was eating a honey bee.

What was that?

lspichkin · 09-16-2008, 05:28 PM

maybe a cicada?

ConsiderThis · 09-16-2008, 08:01 PM

Hi, thanks. That was nice of you.

The wings were more flat, though. And when I read about cicadas on the page you linked, it said they mostly don't eat but rather spend their time looking for a mate and mating.

I think this is what it was, something called a robber fly,

This image doesn't quite do it justice, this may be a juvenile. The one in my garden looked very menacing indeed, probably because it was eating the honey bee and flew around with it when I interrupted it.

I found some information that said they eat spiders, and my best spiders do seem to be missing, as well as small lizards and snakes! (I didn't have small lizards and snakes.)

lspichkin · 09-18-2008, 03:17 PM

Ha! Sounds scary indeed.

ConsiderThis · 09-18-2008, 04:48 PM

I haven't seen it today, at all. But equally, there don't appear to be many wasps left. I only saw one.

And, there's a spider in my kale that has coloring that makes it resemble a bee, and it was eating a bee or wasp.

I'm all sad.

Neil Bromhall · 10-18-2008, 03:42 AM

This is one of the Robberflies. They predate other insects. The male will present a fly as a gift to the female in the hope of mating.

I think you'll find that Cicadas are sap suckers and don't eat other insects

ConsiderThis · 10-18-2008, 10:04 AM

Thanks, Neil.

You make them sound quite romantic, and less off putting than my first impression when it was eating the bee.

Thank you for that! (still, I'm not enamored with them.)

throphilus · 10-30-2008, 09:24 PM

Hmmm its really scary indeed.

Check out this: but

The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense.the fly then sucks the liquefied meal through the proboscis.

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ConsiderThis · 11-06-2008, 08:39 AM

That's a great picture. That's pretty much what I saw in my garden. I also saw the fly flying around with the prey it had captured.

But I only saw it for a couple of days. Not before, nor after that did I see it or anything like it in my garden.

(Well, except for an Orb Weaver spider that also was eating a bee or wasp...)

09-14-2008, 03:27 PM	#1
ConsiderThis Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Posts: 37	HUGE armored fly type creature eating bee I was out in my garden a moment ago and thought I saw a large grasshopper, only upon closer inspection it was a fly that looked battle ready and it was eating a honey bee. What was that? __________________ http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com Your fingernails reflect your health -- Learn some warning signs -- Karen Kline

09-16-2008, 08:01 PM	#3
ConsiderThis Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Posts: 37	Hi, thanks. That was nice of you. The wings were more flat, though. And when I read about cicadas on the page you linked, it said they mostly don't eat but rather spend their time looking for a mate and mating. I think this is what it was, something called a robber fly, This image doesn't quite do it justice, this may be a juvenile. The one in my garden looked very menacing indeed, probably because it was eating the honey bee and flew around with it when I interrupted it. I found some information that said they eat spiders, and my best spiders do seem to be missing, as well as small lizards and snakes! (I didn't have small lizards and snakes.) __________________ http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com Your fingernails reflect your health -- Learn some warning signs -- Karen Kline Last edited by ConsiderThis; 09-16-2008 at 08:05 PM.

09-18-2008, 04:48 PM	#5
ConsiderThis Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Posts: 37	I haven't seen it today, at all. But equally, there don't appear to be many wasps left. I only saw one. And, there's a spider in my kale that has coloring that makes it resemble a bee, and it was eating a bee or wasp. I'm all sad. __________________ http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com Your fingernails reflect your health -- Learn some warning signs -- Karen Kline

10-18-2008, 03:42 AM	#6
Neil Bromhall Green Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 9 Blog Entries: 1 Images: 3	It's a Robberfly This is one of the Robberflies. They predate other insects. The male will present a fly as a gift to the female in the hope of mating. I think you'll find that Cicadas are sap suckers and don't eat other insects

10-18-2008, 10:04 AM	#7
ConsiderThis Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Posts: 37	Thanks, Neil. You make them sound quite romantic, and less off putting than my first impression when it was eating the bee. Thank you for that! (still, I'm not enamored with them.) __________________ http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com Your fingernails reflect your health -- Learn some warning signs -- Karen Kline

09-16-2008, 05:28 PM	#2
lspichkin Administrator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 197 Images: 88	maybe a cicada?

09-18-2008, 03:17 PM	#4
lspichkin Administrator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 197 Images: 88	Ha! Sounds scary indeed.

10-30-2008, 09:24 PM	#8
throphilus Green Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1	Hmmm its really scary indeed. Check out this: but The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense.the fly then sucks the liquefied meal through the proboscis. Modern Furniture at RegencyShop.com \| arne jacobsen egg chair at affordable prices. Last edited by throphilus; 10-30-2008 at 09:42 PM.

11-06-2008, 08:39 AM	#9
ConsiderThis Green Thumb Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico Posts: 37	That's a great picture. That's pretty much what I saw in my garden. I also saw the fly flying around with the prey it had captured. But I only saw it for a couple of days. Not before, nor after that did I see it or anything like it in my garden. (Well, except for an Orb Weaver spider that also was eating a bee or wasp...) __________________ http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com Your fingernails reflect your health -- Learn some warning signs -- Karen Kline

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