Latin name: Laphria sp.
My first Robber fly! This one looks like a bumblebee. I saw it with Janneke in vegitation in a dry creekbed we were visiting. It was conspicuous initially by carrying around a dead bee. Bumblebees don't do that. After a moment, I noticed that it didn't bumble around as it flew but rather zipped here and there in a very purposeful manner. The light was poor, so the pictures I got were blurry. Nonetheless, a fun first.
Robber flies apparantly can see very well with their two large compound eyes and catch their prey in midair. Their mandible is large and strong enough to pierce through the exoskeleton of a beetle.
