Red-legged Robber Fly

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A red-legged robber fly (Asilidae, possibly Colepia sp.) pierces the exoskeleton of a honey bee (Apis mellifera), both paralyzing the bee and liquefying its interior before ingestion. Robber flies are fierce aerial predators. They regularly take down insects twice their size, most notably dragonflies, ambushing in mid-air and grappling with powerful legs to incapacitate their victims.

Photographed in situ [1]

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