robber fly (Machimus sadyates) female ovipositing at Ludwig Prairie IA 653A6102
This large fierce-looking female robber fly is laying her eggs into a gray-headed coneflower's developing seed head. Even though her shiny black ovipositor is not a stinger I don't think I'd care to get stabbed with its sharp tip. Surprising to me, but very little information is available about the life of robber flies in the Machimus genus. I'm guessing the larvae drop to the ground and burrow down in the soil where they eat soft-bodied bugs there for up to three years before pupating and emerging as adults now in the summer season. I know for sure these adult robber flies dart out and capture any winged bug they can safely handle, quickly stabbing said prey between the eyes or some similar path of least resistance to inject a paralyzing toxin into the body before sucking the dead bug dry.
robber fly (Machimus sadyates) female ovipositing at Ludwig Prairie IA 653A6102
This large fierce-looking female robber fly is laying her eggs into a gray-headed coneflower's developing seed head. Even though her shiny black ovipositor is not a stinger I don't think I'd care to get stabbed with its sharp tip. Surprising to me, but very little information is available about the life of robber flies in the Machimus genus. I'm guessing the larvae drop to the ground and burrow down in the soil where they eat soft-bodied bugs there for up to three years before pupating and emerging as adults now in the summer season. I know for sure these adult robber flies dart out and capture any winged bug they can safely handle, quickly stabbing said prey between the eyes or some similar path of least resistance to inject a paralyzing toxin into the body before sucking the dead bug dry.