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Photo#37300
red-tailed robberfly, side view - Heteropogon phoenicurus - female

red-tailed robberfly, side view - Heteropogon phoenicurus - Female
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA
November 9, 2005
Dennis Paulson and I noted an amazing abundance and density of these robberflies in the park while we searched (mostly unsuccessfully) for dragonflies. What seemed to be the same species of robber was still common a few days later when I walked the Resaca Vieja trail with Nelson Dobbs. They perched almost exclusively on twig tips and many, including this one, were eating what appeared to be winged termites. Size seems about right for Ommatius, but much too hairy; resembles some of the tiny "copper-top" Laphrias, but the red color on these looks to be in the actual exoskeleton, not in the hair. Any clues?

Images of this individual: tag all
red-tailed robberfly, side view - Heteropogon phoenicurus - female red-tailed robberfly, rear view - Heteropogon phoenicurus - female red-tailed robberfly, front view - Heteropogon phoenicurus - female

Moved
Moved from Heteropogon.

about the prey item...
I have been informed by Mike Merchant of the Texas Cooperative Extension that the prey in these photos is a subterranean termite of the genus Reticulitermes.

Joshua S. Rose, Ph.D.
World Birding Center
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
joshua.rose_NO_SPAM@tpwd.state.tx.us
956-584-9156 x 236

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