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Photo#1542324
Robber Bee - Laphria thoracica

Robber Bee - Laphria thoracica
Township of Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Size: 1 inch
There is a bushy area with honeysuckle that is always full of bees. I love watching them..until this large bumble bee like insect came on the scene.
It is about 1-1.5 inches big. Waits for a bee or fly then pounces/ambushes it. Very creepy looking and watches me. Has a long snout and hairy legs wit. It has been there about a week and there are very few bees now.
I have no clue what it is.
Pictures aren't great but you get the idea.

Moved
Moved from Robber Flies.

Moved
Moved from Flies.

Probably one of the Laphria r
Probably one of the Laphria robber flies. The Mallophora and Dasylechia can look similar, but they tend to have a thin extra extension from the end of their antenna. Wait for expert help, though. These aren't very well represented here on bugguide, so you'll want to be sure you know what you've got. A number of species aren't in the guide yet. (:

 
Robber fly
Thank you Maggie, Is this an area of Ontario they are found in? Have never seen one before. As a naturalist I am against collecting specimens or killing but am concerned about the bee population. What would you suggest. Anne

 
Yes, they are found all over.
Yes, they are found all over. Here's the data page for that genus: https://bugguide.net/node/view/5234/data

If you scroll down to Ontario and click through from month to month you can get a feel for what is flying in your area at different times of the year. (They are there all year, of course, they are just less visible because there aren't adults flying around).

Remember that bees are ambassadors for ALL insects. We have had a huge decline in insect numbers across the board. Bees are ones that it is easy to talk to the public about. People tend to get it that they are important for their pollination services and are moved to action. But ALL insects are important. Our ecosystem only functions because of its diversity. The interrelationships between different species are extremely complex. Because insects go through a metamorphosis between their larval and adult stages, it's quite common for something to have a role as an underground predator as a baby and grow up to be a predator of flying things. Or to be a decomposer in its youth and grow up to be a flower sipper. Monarchs are herbivores as caterpillars and pollinators as adults, for instance. Pollinators like bees serve an important ecosystem service to plants, but sometimes being eaten is an important service too because of the myriad ways that species interact and the multiple roles so many of them fill. So don't let the fact that this insect eats bees bother you. It means you have a steady enough bee population to have attracted bee predators. In my garden I have these bee eating robber flies, as well as bees that lay their eggs in other bee's nests, and spiders and ambush bugs that catch a lot of bees... and I STILL have a lot of bees. It's a sign of success that my ecoweb has expanded to support these other species. It means the system is finding its balance through diversity. Hope that's a help!

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