Robberfly with bee

Description:

We have noticed many robberflies this year that would catch a honeybee(not native), bring the bee to us, sit down on a plant next to us and proceed to eat it. They looked so proud of themselves. Never have we been attacked by them other than for them to capture flies from out hats.Information from the Geller-grimm website on Robberflies tells us:"Most species capture prey as it flies by, but members of the Leptogastrinae capture stationary prey while themselves in flight, as do damselflies (Scarbrough and Sipes 1973). A few dasypoginine species capture prey that is crawling on the ground (Lavigne 1963). Immediately upon making a capture, the asilid stabs its prey with its hypopharynx in the neck between the head and thorax, at the junction of thorax and abdomen, through the eyes, or between the sclerites at the end of the abdomen (Dennis and Lavigne 1975, Scarbrough 1978). The prey is then injected with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes, which rapidly immobilize the prey and liquify its tissues; in a relatively short time the asilid is able to suck out the contents."