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Robberfly with Prey
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: CHANDRA SHEKAR (scshekar)
(582) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2009-10-16 |
| Categories: Insects |
| Camera: Nikon D 80, 105mm Macro Nikkor |
| Exposure: f/8, 1/60 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2009-10-21 7:41 |
| Viewed: 161 |
| Points: 6 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
| Insects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide. All robber flies have stout, spiny legs, a dense moustache of bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. The antennae are short, 3-segmented, sometimes with a bristle-like structure called an arista. The short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which paralyze and digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied meal through the proboscis. Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. Others are fat-bodied bumblebee mimics. Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, ants, dragon and damselflies, Ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders. |
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Chandra
What a great capture!
Very sharp details, lovely colors.
Mariana
Great capture,sharp colors.
Robber with a catch
Following responsible seniors for a while
Ciooa Chandra. Dramatic interesting capture in very good detailsand particolar sharp. Nice blurred BG.
Roberto