The Living Forest (54) : Dead in 5 seconds !

The Living Forest (54) : Dead in 5 seconds !

I could witness an amazing wildlife scene. The shot shows an Azure Damselfly that was attacked and killed by a Common Awl Robber fly.

A robber fly is a very predatory insect that is known for its fast and deadly catch of a large prey while in full flight, including wasps, bees & dragonflies that are larger than itself !
The robber fly uses its strong long legs to intercept the prey by grasping it around the head.
Then it immediately stabs the prey with its needlelike and razor sharp mouthparts and injects a nerve toxin. This quickly paralyzes the prey and the robber fly then sucks out the prey’s insides completely.

This aggressive and fearsome looking fly however, is completely harmless to man.

Dutch name : Eikenroofvlieg & Azuurwaterjuffer
German name : Gemeiner Strauchdieb & Hufeisen-Azurjungfer
Latin name : Neoitamus cyanurus & Coenagrion puella