The Death of Beetle

This poor beetle has fallen prey to a robberfly, as so many other winged insects do. The beetle was pounced upon by the robberfly, then felt a short, sharp proboscis being inserted into its chitinous exoskeleton. But no sooner had it begun to struggle, when it felt a hearty blend of neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes being injected into it. All resistance ceased then, as the beetle became paralized and its innards turned into a soup which got slowly slurped up through the proboscis.

Some robberflies mimic bees and have their more bulbous shape. Other robberflies, however, have sleek, tapered abdomens, some of which end in a sword-like ovipositor. They're also cannibals. Charming creatures, these robberflies.

Photo by Budi Santoso