Robber Fly Photos From Sequoyah NWR

It’s about time for me to share a few Robber Fly images that were taken at the end of July while walking the side roads of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.

Robber Fly resting on gravel – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1250, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Canon 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light

These large flies are predatory and found worldwide, with over 7,000 described species. In North America, there are nearly 1,000 species.

That is a lot, so it’s no small wonder that I wasn’t able to identify the species I photographed. I’d be pulling my hair out trying to sort through all of the robber flies found in Oklahoma!

Adult Robber Fly at Sequoyah NWR – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/2500, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Canon 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light

Robber Flies feed on a wide variety of insects including flies, beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, and even other robber flies. I keep hoping to photograph one of these flies with prey.

Maybe one day soon that will happen. Robber Flies are also known as “Assassin Flies” due to their predatory nature.

Mating Robber Flies at Sequoyah NWR – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1600, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Canon 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light

Robber Flies inhabit open, sunny areas including grasslands, old fields, woodland openings, marshes, and areas near ponds and streams. Steve Creek and I found these flies while we were walking a side road on the refuge.

See one of Steve’s informative posts about Robber Flies here.

I did see robber flies while I lived in Utah; I just never got the chance to photograph them. During the warmer months in Oklahoma and Arkansas, I should have plenty of opportunities to do so.

Whether I will ever be able to identify the species I have in my viewfinder remains to be seen. I don’t give myself a hard time about that, though, because I know my birds and my mammals. If I don’t know some insects, I’m okay with that.

Life is good.

Mia

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