Assassin

WARNING - DO NOT VIEW LARGE

Another back blip from my time out from Blipworld in June. I offer this as a contribution to Movember, as the assassin fly does have a very fine moustache. You may not find much else that is attractive about him and his lifestyle.

This is a species of robber-fly, of which there are some 7000 known species around the world. He has short, piercing mouthparts that are used to suck his victims dry. I found this one when I was out for a walk near Silverdale Moss, perched on a wooden gate in mid-suck. His bristly moustache is designed to protect his large compound eyes from the legs and other parts of his struggling prey. This prey item was past struggling when I encountered them. The assassin is a big, powerful looking fly, definitely not to be messed with. Life is short and brutish in Invertebrate world, I'm glad I don't inhabit it at this scale.