Owl Fly (Melambrotus)

You talk about a learning curve?? I am coming across things I have never heard of before let alone seen!! LOL!! I must admit, I am enjoying every moment of it, but it sure is taxing these little old grey cells of mine. :)

I found this Owl Fly (ascalaphidae sp. melambrotus) tucked away inside a succulent. It is medium size (about 2 inches) from the top his head to the tip of his thorax.

An incrdible experience - Owlfly

I have been lucky to have some incredible (for me) experiences with insects since I have been photographing them.
One morning I got up at 3am to go and take some pictures of moths which were flying around a nearby outside light. The next thing I knew this newly hatched Owl fly landed on my finger.

Adults in this family are from medium to large size. They have the very long and clubbed antenna. When rest, their abdomen is extended above the stem that they are sitting on while their wings hanging downwards. Adults are predator, hunting insects in flight. Usually they are active during the day.

Owl-fly lays eggs on grass seed stem. Their eggs are hard and oval, laid in masses around twigs or grass-stalk, number in about 50 to 100.