Species Insects & ArthropodsBee Killer Robber Fly

Bee Killer Robber Fly

Efferia pogonias

UncommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Bee Killer Robber Fly (Efferia pogonias)

The Bee Killer Robber Fly is a large, gray, bristly robber fly that regularly captures and eats honey bees and bumble bees in mid-air — a remarkable feat given the bee's defensive stings. It injects paralytic saliva with its stout proboscis before consuming the contents. It frequents sandy open areas where it watches from low perches and launches fast aerial attacks.

Habitat
Sandy fields, open grasslands, and desert edges
Diet
Adults: bees, wasps, and large flying insects captured in flight
How common
Uncommon

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