Nature and Feline Friday

  Nature Friday host LLB Gang  and Feline Friday  host Comedy Plus

Mid August we had three glorious fall like days.  I took advantage of them too.  I took several long treks thru the 'hood and sat on my back porch enjoying the birds, bees and buttie pillars and a critter from out of space. All of this nature seen from the comfort of my back porch.  

I  would like to thank Kit, mom to my furry nephews, for identifying this critter.
using the Insect ID app on her iPhone.
Red Footed Cannibalfy a type  Robberfly

When I was snapping the photos below,  I just knew it was going to eat me so I didn't get very close.  We have never ever NO never seen anything quite like this.   I was happy to read this: Like all flies, the Red-footed Cannibalfly lacks a stinger and cannot sting, but it can bite in defense or if handled roughly.

 Insect ID app says it’s this, also know as bee panther! 🙀

A type of Robberfly, the Red-footed Cannibalfly is an aerial predator. It beats its long wings so quickly that an audible buzz is often the precursor to seeing it whiz by in a blur. I can 100% verify that sentence.  It buzzed by me so quickly I ducked my head.  This terrifying speed allows it to snatch other flying insects right out of the sky. 

Tremendous size and leg strength coupled with a chemical-laced bite, allow it to easily subdue prey that may be larger than itself. The Red-footed Cannibalfliy can catch grasshoppers and other big insects, but it is more often seen with bees, wasps, and other flies in its possession. The bite injects quick-acting enzymes that help liquefy internal parts, making them easier to ingest. This carnivorous fly may be seen clinging to window screens, tree bark, or fences while it takes its meal. Between catches, the Red-footed Cannibalfly rests on a twig, branch, or other perch that allows it to visually scan the air for passersby. Once spotted, it zooms to its next meal.



Listen and watch for Red-footed Cannibalflies from the middle to the end of the summer when food options are plentiful. Areas like meadows, gardens, and woodlands, which act as homes to a variety of insects, are great places to find this type of Robberfly.

We have lots of buttie pillars (Princess Leah if you are reading thank you for teaching me this new word). However I've never seen one land the tray on the bird feeder.  I tried several times to snap a photo from behind it while the wings were fully opened.  There was a beautiful shade of blue there.

I saw this  'hood tuxie lounging under the bench on an early morning trek 3 or 4 blocks from our house.

It looks purryt comfortable.  I think maybe this is his/her territory