Imagine an insect so powerful that it is reportedly able to take down a hummingbird. Then give it the macabre monniker of Red-footed Cannibalfly (Promachus rufipes). If I were an insect, I would be really worried. Actually I don’t think that I would want to allow one to bite me, because a cannibalfly stabs its prey with its proboscis and injects saliva that help to liquify the prey’s insides. Then the cannibalfly sucks out the liquid through its proboscis.
I don’t know why exactly, but the last week or so I have seen a lot of Red-footed Cannibalflies during my trips to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Here are a few of my recent shots. The first one reminded one of my Facebook viewers of The Lorax, a Dr. Seuss character with a big mustache. Maybe this insect needs to overhaul its public image so that it is viewed as being less threatening. One possible first step might be to change its name to the Bee Panther, a nickname that is sometimes used for this species.
On a side note, each of the last four years, including this year, a 2013 posting entitled simply Red-footed Cannibalfly has been my most viewed posting. If I calculated correctly, the posting has been viewed almost 2400 times, including 293 times in 2018.
Why is that posting so popular? Apparently a lot of people do Google searches for “red-footed cannibalfly” and stumble onto my blog posting. I’m proud of a number of my postings and the images that I have captured, but I must confess that I don’t consider that 2013 posting as one of my best.
It’s a little scary to think that I may be inextricably linked in some people’s minds with Red-footed Cannibalflies. Yikes!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
All three are lovely shots but I really think that first shot is spectacular. It’s the massive eyes, I think, that engage me and then the contrast between the texture and colour of those and the bristly, fluffy Lorax moustache. The black background also makes the colours of the wee beastie pop.
Thanks, Laura. That first shot appeals to the artist in me. I really like the way that the shallow depth of field caused the body to fall out of focus and draws the viewer’s eyes to the insect’s eyes. The side shots, I know, appeal to those who are more scientific-minded, who want to see the details of the whole body. The third image provides a bit of art and a bit of science, with the shapes of the leaves providing the former and the mating insects the latter.
I’ve never seen this one. You got some great shots of them. What eyes!
Yikes. So glad I’m not a target! 😮
Me too. 🙂
Terrific photos then and now! What an amazing creature!
Thanks. The Red-footed Cannibalfly is both fearsome and fascinating and it is cool to have had so many opportunities to see them this year.