Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) with egg sac

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) with egg sac

These spiders do not construct a web, capturing prey by grabbing it when it gets close. It will capture pest insects but also will be found with pollinators in its clutches which may upset some, but Ive seen it with stink bugs and leaffooted bugs and similar so it is quite beneficial in my book.

Learn: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-48_green_lynx_spider.htm

Learn more: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm

and more: http://bugguide.net/node/view/2032

Shown on Florida Native Plant:  WATER COWBANE (Tiedemannia filiformis)

My take: https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/and-in-this-corneractive-arachnids/

My take 2: Lynx Spiders: Its a boy and a girl and a boy etc.
http://osceolaflgardenblahblahblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/lynx-spiders-its-boy-and-girl-and-boy.html

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Black Bee Killer Robberfly (Mallophora sp. possibly atra)

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Black Bee Killer Robberfly (Mallophora sp. possibly atra)

New to my buggy life list. I get bee killers frequently at this time of year but this is the first I’ve seen with this coloration.

Key plus Learn more: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in591

synonym Mallophora nigra (https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=133770#null)

Bee Mimic; diptera; predatory.  The larval stage of this insect’s lifecycle lives in the soil and are predatory on some pest soil dwellers such has grubs.

Although robber flies are predators, they are sometimes prey for other animals, including spiders, birds, and larger predatory insects like assassin bugs, praying mantids, and even other robber flies. Moles and underground arthropod predators, such as centipedes and ground beetle larvae sometimes eat them. (source: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/flies/robber/robber.htm)

Learn about Robberflies: http://www.geller-grimm.de/general.htm

Shown on Florida Native Plant: Bidens alba

My take:
Killer on the Loose
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/killer-on-the-loose/

Take Two:

I Was Robbed!
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/i-was-robbed/

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Green Lacewing Debris-Carrying Larvae (Family Chrysopidae) attacking scale

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Green Lacewing Debris-Carrying Larvae (Family Chrysopidae) attacking scale

Shown on Florida Native Plant:  SENSITIVE PEA (Chamaecrista nictitans var. aspera)

larval and adults are beneficial predators of other insects, especially aphids.  This one was after the scale insects.

click here for additional photo 1.

click here for additional photo 2.

see eggs from prior year:  https://centralfloridacritteroftheday.wordpress.com/2015/07/11/green-lacewing-eggs-family-chrysopidae/

adult: https://centralfloridacritteroftheday.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/green-lacewing-ceraeochrysa-sp/

Learn: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/green_lacewings.htm

My take:  https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/did-that-cocoon-just-walk-away/

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Southern Black Racer Snake (Coluber constrictor priapus)

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Southern Black Racer Snake (Coluber constrictor priapus)

NON-VENOMOUS.

Diet: frogs, lizards, snakes, rodents, birds, eggs

Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/list/coluber-constrictor-priapus/

My take: World Snake Day…And Me Without My Pungi* https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/world-snake-dayand-me-without-my-pungi/

Take 2: A Race to the End
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/a-race-to-the-end/

Take 3: The Water System as Wildlife Habitat
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2019/09/18/the-water-system-as-wildlife-habitat/

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Florida Bee Killer Robberfly (Mallophora bomboides)

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Florida Bee Killer Robberfly (Mallophora bomboides)

Bee Mimic; diptera; predatory.  The larval stage of this insect’s lifecycle lives in the soil and are predatory on some pest soil dwellers such has grubs.

Although robber flies are predators, they are sometimes prey for other animals, including spiders, birds, and larger predatory insects like assassin bugs, praying mantids, and even other robber flies. Moles and underground arthropod predators, such as centipedes and ground beetle larvae sometimes eat them. (source: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/flies/robber/robber.htm)

Learn about Robberflies: http://www.geller-grimm.de/general.htm

Key plus Learn more: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/flies/bee_killers.htm

Shown on Florida Native Plant: Bidens alba

My take:
Killer on the Loose
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/killer-on-the-loose/

Take Two:

I Was Robbed!
https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/i-was-robbed/

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Thick-headed Fly (Physoconops sp.)

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Thick-headed Fly (Physoconops sp.)

New to my buggy life list.

larvae of all conopids are internal parasites, most of Hymenoptera (source: Wikipedia)

Superfamily Sciomyzoidea
Family Conopidae – Thick-headed Flies
Subfamily Conopinae

Learn:  https://bugguide.net/node/view/12766

A Checklist of the Conopididae of Florida lists 8 species. https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Florida-State-Collection-of-Arthropods/Explore-the-Collection/Insect-Collection/Diptera/Diptera-Families-of-Florida/A-Checklist-of-the-Conopididae-of-Florida

Shown on non-native buttonweed.

Click here for additional photo

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Green Horsefly (Chlorotabanus crepuscularis)

CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Green Horsefly (Chlorotabanus crepuscularis)

only green tabanid in North America.

larva predaceous. Female adults bite mammals. Flies are pollinators too.

Learn: http://bugguide.net/node/view/17583

Shown on Florida Native Plant: TALL ELEPHANTSFOOT (Elephantopus elatus)

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