This Hairy Robber Fly Dances Better Than You ~ Laphria aurea

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🔽 License the footage here:
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Expeditions with my friend Ondra Nágl to the south of Moravia regularly bring experiences that nobody expected. Apparently we are still not educated and experienced enough, so almost every time we are surprised by something new. And that's the fun part of nature filming! 😊

Do you remember our first encounter with the European mammoth wasp? If so, know that it wasn't the only insect phantom we first caught a glimpse of in 2022 and then were eager to get it in front of the lens at any cost. For at the same time, we came across another such adept.

One day we were filming great capricorn beetles among old oaks, when suddenly a mysterious, hairy, hornet-like creature flashed past us. What on earth was that? How does one photograph or film something so fast and barely visible? It was clear that one day we would have to give this thing a good talking to. But the summer passed like water and we didn't manage to return to the site due to other obligations. Unlike the mammoth wasp, this woodland creature remained shrouded in mystery and it would not be solved until the following year ⏳

It is a pity, but at this point I will have to dilute the dramatic atmosphere of the story slightly. The mysterious creature was not quite as mysterious – we did have an idea what it might have been. We seemed to have encountered an unusual species of robber fly 👌  

Robber flies (also assassin flies) are insects of the order Diptera, i.e. actually relatives of flies. They are powerful predators at the top of the food chain, constantly watching their surroundings and then ambushing flying insects. They trap their prey with their spiny legs, inject toxic enzymes into it with their sharp proboscis, and then suck it up like spiders. There is a variety of robber flies - some tiny, others quite massive. And hairy.

I remembered that we even have a species called the hornet robber fly. So at home, I delved into the literature to confirm that it was what we were looking for. But you know what? It wasn't! I was quite disappointed, because if there is any animal in our country that resembles a hornet (even in sound), it's this critter. Long story short - I found out that we had the honour of meeting the ultra rare Laphria aurea robber fly, which doesn't even have a Czech or English name 🫥

At the end of last spring, I went to the site again and scanned the sunlit tree trunks with my eyes to see if I could see the hairy thing again. And there it was. Or rather, they were - three or four yellowish glowing robber flies were scurrying around the forest clearing, frightening other insects. Trouble was, my camera and I were in turn frightening them. Whenever I tried to get close to one of the warmed-up turbo animals with my tripod, there was a deep buzz and the robber fly was gone. As it happens, patience brings footage. After some time of futile trying, I managed to figure out how to get a few shots of them 🎥

Finally, I would like to emphasize what a rarity this is in the Czech Republic - the Laphria aurea was recorded only in the very south of South Moravia, nowhere else. In addition to its strong thermophilicity, it is bound to dying trees and the beetles that develop in them, such as capricorn beetles or wood-boring beetles. Their larvae are the food of the robber fly larvae. And I probably don't need to explain how many well-preserved habitats like this we have left in central Europe 🌳

Oh, and one more thing! Notice how the robber fly keeps turning its head in all directions. In the insect kingdom, this is always the sign of a top predator that needs to actively monitor its surroundings - mantises and dragonflies are similarly adapted. But it's certainly not the rule, as even such hunters as wasps, tiger beetles or spiders don't move their heads (or cephalothoraxes) and must turn their entire bodies to watch their prey. So take inspiration from the Laphria aurea on how to effectively exercise a stiff neck.

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✿ Species
Robber fly (Laphria aurea)

✿ Location and date
South Moravia, Czechia | June 2023

✿ Equipment
Panasonic GH6
Panasonic S5II
Metabones T Smart
Sigma 60-600
Sigma 105
Olympus 12-100
Zoom F3
Sennheiser MKE600

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#europeanwildlife #robberfly #laphriaaurea