Bug Sunday

Here is a male robber fly, an efferid species, possibly Pogonioefferia nemoralis. This one is an inch and a half long. Robber flies are serious predators, or to use the scientific term, ugly customers. Some of them will knock down and eat dragonflies.


Below are two specimens of the widow skimmer dragonfly, Libellula luctuosa. The first is a female, with gold markings on the tail, and the second is a male. His tail is white when seen from above, like the common whitetail male, but has different wing markings.

Female widow skimmer


Male widow skimmer




Finally, a checkered setwing, Dythemis fugax, probably a female or young male.


All bugs depicted were found either in my backyard or not far from my house.