#robberflies

one of the sillier insect interactions I’ve witnessed… this giant robberfly (Proctacanthus sp.) was lying in wait for prey when a winnow ant (Aphaenogaster treatae) crawled over and tried to bite at its feet, so the robberfly kicked it away, only for the ant to return and repeat the process at least 6 or 7 times before the robber got fed up and left

what i find particularly funny about this is that the robberfly is a voracious predator that eats everything from small flies to wasps and dragonflies bigger than itself, but the ant confidently strolls up and assumes that its fair game to carry back to the nest because it isn’t moving much (though i’m pretty sure this type of robberfly only attacks flying prey so the ant wasn’t in any real danger)

Florida beekiller (Mallophora bomboides) feeding on a Polistes paper wasp (Florida, 9/25/21).

This huge hairy robberfly found primarily in open habitats in Florida is not only a bumblebee mimic, but also a specialist predator that feeds almost exclusively on bees and wasps. A related species from South America, M. ruficauda, sometimes eats enough bees to cause 80% losses in honey production around apiaries.