WSA Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 3+" Holy mole! My money is on a new invasive species, especially if you've not seen it before. Well, glad to know it has a natural predator. Even a giant robber fly, which it has a close similarity too, never gets that big. If you do bag and tag one, you might want to take it to your County Agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 I was thinking the same thing WSA, invasive species......my guess is it is preying on some type of caterpillar feeding on the Live Oak, which might be beneficial to the trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 WSA is right! Looked at some YouTube videos of the Robber Fly, and that's what it is.......thanks man, now I can concentrate on more pressing issues, like chasing the Hairy Man:) And some additional info on this lil monster...... Facts about robber flies The most commonly seen robber flies are dark in color, but some common types are orange. Several species even mimic bumble bees, with black and yellow stripes. Larval and adult robber flies are predators of other insects, and are famous for their ability to capture prey in the air. In fact, robber flies will often catch insects that are larger than themselves, such as bumble bees. Robber flies will occasionally bite humans, but they are not blood feeders, and will only bite on accident or if provoked. Kokopelli, an important figure from Native American folklore, is partly named after “pelli,†a word for the desert robber fly. Over 400 genera [now 530] and subgenera have been proposed and 7,003 species are known. The robber fly has a beak enclosing a dagger-like shaft used to stab its victim in the head or thorax and inject a fluid which kills it. This fluid soon causes the victim’s “insides†to become liquid and the robber fly then proceeds to suck it dry, leaving nothing but an empty shell. They obviously need counselling. (someone said they should be called the IRS fly). A robber fly’s beak tip is covered with stiff bristles, designed to secure it within the wound it creates. Most victims are captured mid-flight. The female robber fly fequently rejects the amorous attention of a male, seizing and eating him instead. Robber flies inject a toxin containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes. The victim will be almost immediately paralyzed and the toxins will work on the body to liquefy the flesh. The Robber fly will then use its proboscis to suck out the resulting soup. Robber flies are capable of killing bees, other flies, beetles, butterflies, ants, dragonflies, grasshoppers and some spiders, which they will usually attack before the arachnid has had the chance to finish weaving its web. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSA Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 You think? I didn't think robber flies got that big...but then again...it is Tejas. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Yeah.....did some reading on them, and good to have around the yard apparently, they prey on hornets too, great video on YouTube of a dual with a yellow jacket. Over 500 different species varying in size & color patterns, and yup......one of the largest species right here in Texas:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) Went hiking yesterday evening, headed down a possible BF trail, and heard 2 loud knocks, around 75 yards out front in fairly dense woods, Isabel came running back soon after, and Duncan is focussed in the direction of sounds. Continued down trail, but nothing more except dogs acting weird....on guard. Edited August 2, 2015 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 I took a dip in my pool yesterday, not sure I've ever seen it full, clear, and still flowing this late in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Squatchologist Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 ^That looks like a pretty wonderful place to be able to go to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 6, 2015 Author Share Posted August 6, 2015 And a welcome relief after hiking about an hour in 95 degree heat Squatchologist. I keep my head above water though......no sense letting an Amoeba eat what's left of my brain:) By the way......lovin' your name, perfect for this field! Meant to post this the other day, and explain better details about these alleged BF Trails that I find & follow. This is the same one pictured above with the dogs.......and they all follow a similar pattern. It almost looks like there is no trail through the thick brush until it 'lines' up, and you can see it. Unlike a game trail, there seems to be purpose, limbs cleared at a much higher elevation, plus using every landmark along the way, such as large trees, noticeable rock formations, to help mark & follow. To me, this is all about night hiking, and having these landmarks that are more visible, makes it easier to follow.......works for me when hiking at night. In the picture, you notice the subtle trail leading into the woods, and always with some early zig-zags so the trail is much less noticeable as it continues from a clearing. You just don't see the trail line-up from a clearing with the clever zig-zags unless you know to look for this. The trail is marked in green, and you can see that something has been using it from the grass depressions, and not from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotter Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Went hiking yesterday evening, headed down a possible BF trail, and heard 2 loud knocks, around 75 yards out front in fairly dense woods, Isabel came running back soon after, and Duncan is focussed in the direction of sounds. Continued down trail, but nothing more except dogs acting weird....on guard. Wow, look at those ears laid back...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 6, 2015 Author Share Posted August 6, 2015 (edited) I am pretty positive that my Rigdeback & Rat Terrier are scared of the BF's, don't like being in the area when they are around, and won't track them. On the other hand, the Wolfy seems curious & interested, will track them, but is careful not to get to close, or at least this is my interpretation of her actions. Of course, I never know if they are around observing us unless I hear a knock or whoop, which is rare. But sometimes I do get That Feeling, plus the dogs will start acting skiddish too. The other day when I heard two clear knocks not to far away, the Ridge & Rat reacted immediately in a negative way......Wolfy was in front of me somewhere, but couldn't see or hear her. If my dogs and wolf could talk, this mystery might get solved. Edited August 6, 2015 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCBFr Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Wow, I did not think ridgebacks were scared of anything. The wolf is so much like one of my female huskies. We would hike for miles and I would never see her but could hear her from time to time. Whenever I called, she showed up at my side in a minute or two. Great dog. Malamute/Wolf hybrid is in my future.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted August 7, 2015 BFF Patron Share Posted August 7, 2015 Too bad there is not a way to domesticate a wild wolf that has grown up in the woods and knows what is what. That would be the ideal BF researcher companion. No need for gadgets, just tell the wolf to take you to one. If you could be sure you had a BF scent on something you could use that with an ordinary tracking dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share Posted August 7, 2015 Lucy is always aiming to please, and she sees me spending plenty of time looking at BF tracks.......they have sent, seen her sniffing them pretty good, often trotting off in the direction they headed......she knows I'm looking. I never ever woulda seen the one back in December if not for her.......she found & flushed him out of hiding, but DID NOT give chase.......more of a "look daddy" yelp, she knew exactly what she was doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTreeWalker Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Wow, great companion. Not afraid and smart enough to know what to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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