Asilidae: Asilinae: Mallophora orcina (Weidemann, 1828)

A web page by Roy J. Beckemeyer; Last Updated 23 August 2008

This bumblebee mimic robber fly was caught on 15 August, 2008 in a wet prairie at the Wichita State University Ninnescah Field Station, along the Ninnescah River in south Sedgwick County, Kansas.  The robber fly had captured what appears to be a Halictidae (sweat bee).  The specimen is between 21 and 22 mm long.  Characteristics include clusters of yellow hair before the wing and halteres, yellow hair on the scutellum, black hairs on the dorsum of the mesonotum, yellow hairs on the head, and yellow hairs on the anterior abdominal segments.

Left: A scan of the robber fly and prey with a mm scale.

Note: In the lateral view in the microphoto above, the hairs on the dorsal surface of the abdomen appear to be reddish; they are in fact yellow.  The darker color is caused by the flash from above illuminating the abdomen through the reddish-tinted wings.

Above: Dorsal view microphotograph.

Below: Frontal view of face.