Robber fly

6618.    Found in my yard late August. It was flying around quite aggressively, even getting into a short mid-air tumble with another flying bug as it passed by. It made several short (1-2 second) flights while I watched, but almost seemed to be defending the wooden bench it kept returning to. Mission, British Columbia. Canada

 

Number 6618. This is a robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) that mimics a bumble bee. These are ambush predators that select a perch that gives them a good field of view for sighting potential meals, Click here for an example.