Wasp (I think) eating Bee

[stevecim]

Hi All

was on the way to mow what little lawn I have when I saw this wasp? on a down pipe
a350 Tam 70-300 (in macro mode) 300mm 1/125 f8 iso100 flash used



180mm 1/640 f5.6 iso200



180mm 1/320 f8 iso200


Cheers, Stephen

[stevecim]

I think it's a robber fly not a waps

[Tony Meredith]

Nice shots Steve, it's definitely a Robber Fly. They belong to the family Asilidae, there are some 640 or so described species. They are active predators and very strong fliers, often taking their prey on the wing.

[stevecim]

yer I was just reading up on them, is't the NET great, if they where any bigger I would have to get the 12 gauge out

[Greg Beetham]

That second shot is a class act, yes a Robber fly, I've seen them often around here as well, I've always sortof thought they were related to dragon-flys, but maybe not as Robber-fly's fold the wings back and dragon-flys don't, maybe it's more of a lacewing type of critter.
Greg

[Tony Meredith]

Robber Flies belong to the order Diptera, which includes all the true flies (like the common house fly) and mosquitoes. One of the most distinguishing features of this order is the absence of the second pair of wings, which are replaced by small club like appendages called halteres. Lacewings and Dragonflies belong to the orders Neuroptera and Odonata respectively, neither of these are closely related to the flies.

[stevecim]

Hi Tony

can you put a name to this



was taken with a Pana FZ10, don't tell anyone it's was not shot with a Sony

[Tony Meredith]

My best guess from this photo is that it's some kind of cicada. The small antennae, small beady eyes and sucking mouth parts (rostrum) are characteristic of the cicadas. I've never seen one with the unusual red protrusion at the end of the abdomen though. What a beauty!

[stevecim]

Thanks Tony, myfirst thoughts where Cicada has well, at first I thought it was injured but it seemed to well formed for an injury.

[Dr. Harout]

can you put a name to this

I can: Insectus australiensis cum tailicus erythematisatus

[Tony Meredith]

can you put a name to this

I can: Insectus australiensis cum tailicus erythematisatus

Nice one Doc , but rather than a terminal erythematosus I'd say it's an aposematic defense mechanism.

[Dr. Harout]

Nice one Doc , but rather than a terminal erythematosus I'd say it's an aposematic defense mechanism.

Then it should read: cum terminus erythemicus (or butticus redicus )
BTW, I'm eagerly waiting for the microscope shots.