The Golden Mimic

  In keeping with the current recommendations of avoiding crowds, I roamed the Bayou.  This is my way of avoiding people and, thus, not spreading any disease.  If you can believe all you hear (90% of which I do not), critters do not carry this virus.  It is a good thing as I would rather spend time with the critters and not with people.  As long as no one ill comes traipsing to the Bayou, I should stay well.  Perhaps if I threaten them with a good dose or two of Bayou Fire, they will have second thoughts.

  While out and about today, an unusual critter was found in the sandy dirt.  At first glance, I had a notion to kill this bug as it sure looked a lot like a queen Southern Yellow Jacket.  Then, I had second thoughts.  Something seemed a little off with my knee-jerk identification.  After photographing and studying the insect a bit, I kept leaning more toward thinking this was a fly not a wasp.  Kneeling on the ground about two feet from my fine friend, I took note of not only its physical appearance but its actions.   This was definitely NOT a yellow jacket! Pulling on memories from long ago, a sure ID was made.  Even though I would check to make sure, I felt certain that this was a type of robber fly. 

  After my wandering for the day was complete, I set about checking facts.  Yep, this was indeed a robber fly.  In fact, it was a Laphria saffrana!  Pop always called it a "Golden Robber Fly" and that is what my memory had stored it as...a Golden Robber Fly.  Even though this mimics the coloring of the queen yellow jacket, it will not hurt you like the wasp will.  There is still some question as to why the robber fly's coloring mimics the yellow jacket (and only the queen) but one thought is that it draws unsuspecting worker wasps to it.  The robber fly has an easy meal.  Robber flies of all sorts are voracious hunters that will track down other insects.  They do not attack humans or animals but will take the opportunity to snatch a deer fly or other biting insect that is attacking!  Robber flies are some of the best allies people can have! 

  After finding the beautiful robber fly along the path, I felt a lot better.  It is almost deer fly season and that usually puts a halt to my long hikes.  By allowing the robber fly to live, perhaps there will be a few less biting insects along the paths.  One can hope anyway.