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Robber Fly or Efferia aestuans f4.0, 4x, 1/8s, ISO100, 54 steps at 54µ/step Efferia aestuans,Geotagged,United States,Winter Click/tap to enlarge

Robber Fly or Efferia aestuans

f4.0, 4x, 1/8s, ISO100, 54 steps at 54µ/step

    comments (5)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Nicely done, William, and a happy new year! Hairy subjects are a pain but the result looks great. Posted 2 years ago
    1. View William Bodine's profile
      William Bodine
      Lion
      View Lion class
      I was pleased with the eyes but the hairs are a mess! This is an old specimen that was covered with dust and dirt which required a bath. I learned about water cohesion, adhesion and surface tension affecting the hair clumping and will implement those anti-clumping techniques on my next hairy insect to see if it resolves the issue. Posted 2 years ago
      1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
        Ferdy Christant
        Lion
        View Lion class
        Hah, I knew you gave it a bath as I had the same issues in this being an almost irreversible process. I would be curious what those anti-clumping techniques are. My method now is to stop giving them a bath. Posted 2 years ago
        1. View William Bodine's profile
          William Bodine
          Lion
          View Lion class
          After the bath in a mild solution of soap and sodium tripolyphosphate, rinse in distilled water, then rinse in 99% isopropyl alcohol. Gently blow dry using a hair dryer or a lens blower. Here is the chemical "theory" behind hair clumping. Because water has hydrogen bonds it creates water adhesion, and surface tension, the isopropyl alcohol breaks those hydrogen bonds thereby stopping the water adhesion to the hairs. Posted 2 years ago
          1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
            Ferdy Christant
            Lion
            View Lion class
            Thanks, William! Posted 2 years ago

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The Efferia aestuans

''E. aestuans'' is a member of the Asilidae family. It is native to eastern North America, where it ranges from Ontario and New Hampshire south into Florida and New Mexico. It was originally described as ''Asilus aestuans'' in Carl Linnaeus' 1763 work ''Centuria Insectorum''.

Info 3 0
Similar species: True Flies
Species identified by William Bodine
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By William Bodine

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Uploaded Jan 2, 2023. Captured Dec 31, 2022 16:06 in 2GGQ+R8, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,925 9,640 8
  • Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • f/1.0
  • 1/8s
  • ISO100
  • 50mm
Captured in the winter. More winter photos.