An Insect with a Superhero Name: Meet the Hercules Robber Fly

Flies often get a bad rap in Australia.  On a warm, sunny day, they seem to be everywhere. Walk around a farm, and you might find yourself hosting a small island of flies hitching a free ride on your back. Annoying?  Absolutely.  But as much as we might swat and swear at them, flies play an incredibly important role in our environment.  They’re the unsung heroes of nutrient recycling, predation, and parasitoid activity.  And believe it or not, they’re the second most significant pollinator species after bees!  Perhaps it’s time we re frame flies as superheroes of the insect world.

Neoaratus hercules - a member of Robber Flies Family Asilidae

The Day Hercules Visited

A few months ago, while installing solar panels near our shed, I heard a deep, droning buzz – a sound that can make even the bravest among us pause.  Moments later, I spotted the source: a massive insect perched on one of the panels.  Naturally, I grabbed my phone, took a photo, and uploaded it to my iNaturalist account.  The verdict?  I had encountered none other than the Hercules Robber Fly. How cool is that?  A fly with a name straight out of a comic book!

The Hercules Robber Fly is aptly named. Hercules, the legendary hero of Greek and Roman mythology, was renowned for his strength and bravery in battling ferocious animals and monsters.  Similarly, this insect is a giant among flies, measuring up to 4 centimeters in length. For comparison, a European honeybee worker is a mere 1.5 centimeters long.  Hercules Robber Flies are not just impressive in size; they’re also fearsome predators, earning their "robber fly" status through their aggressive hunting tactics. These flies ambush their prey mid-flight, targeting other insects – including honeybees. No wonder they seem to enjoy hanging around our farm!

European Honey Worker Bee - only about 1.5 cm in length

A New Perspective

Since learning more about the Hercules Robber Fly, I’ve stopped feeling quite so terrified when I see one. Instead, I marvel at their role in maintaining ecological balance. They may have a fearsome reputation, but they’re also vital players in the ecological balance on our farm.

Become a Citizen Scientist

If this story has sparked your curiosity about the natural world, why not dive deeper? Our Citizen Science Workshop offers an exciting opportunity to explore and record biodiversity in your local area. You’ll learn to use tools like iNaturalist to document species and contribute to conservation efforts. Whether you’re a seasoned nature enthusiast or a curious beginner, this program will inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes and make a meaningful impact on our planet.

Spot the Native, Spot the Feral: Observing Biodiversity and Learning from History

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved hidden object games. I might be showing my age here, but the original games were cluttered illustrations with a list of objects to find by scanning the picture. I relived this love again when my son was about six, and we spent hours searching for the elusive boy in a red-and-white-striped jumper in "Where’s Wally?". Now, one of my favorite things to do on our farm is to scan the landscape for hidden creatures. I know they’re there; it’s just a matter of observation — a skill I’ve honed over time.

A few weeks ago, I was walking through a particular part of our farm when I spotted a beautiful native icon — an eastern short-beaked echidna. When I went to take its photograph for my iNaturalist account, I noticed another creature hiding in the landscape: an iconic feral species - a rabbit. I posted this picture on the Field Naturalist’s Club of Victoria Facebook page as a fun challenge: “Spot the native, spot the feral.” The post received some great comments and interaction, but the sad thing is that feral species like rabbits are often far easier to find, and they wreak havoc on the landscape. Wherever there’s suitable soil for digging warrens, you’ll find rabbits.

Spot the native, spot the feral - it's a biodiversity challenge!

Domesticated rabbits arrived in Australia with the First Fleet, and the first feral rabbit population was reported in Tasmania as early as 1827. On mainland Australia, an English Grazier, Thomas Austin freed about a dozen rabbits on his property, Barwon Park Mansion near Geelong in Victoria, in 1859 as game for shooting parties. In 2022, a study of genomic data confirmed that Australia’s feral rabbit population was entirely descended from the rabbits introduced by Austin!

It’s devastating to see the damage rabbits have caused, even on our small property. The most visible impact is the large warrens they build, which lead to soil erosion. They also graze on native grasses, resulting in plant biodiversity losses in some areas.

I don’t have any definitive answers to the rabbit problem on our farm. Local farmers have been waging a war on rabbits for decades. However, understanding how just a dozen rabbits multiplied into a nationwide issue reminds me how history can teach us vital lessons about protecting biodiversity. It also highlights how the actions of one person can have far-reaching impacts on native wildlife.

When I spot native flora and fauna on our farm, I often think about what they must endure to survive in such a competitive environment. I also reflect on what I can do to ensure they have a thriving habitat. Thankfully, for the eastern short-beaked echidna, our farm provides plenty of hollow logs and anthills. These anthills are vital because echidnas use their sticky, saliva-covered tongues, which can extend up to 17 cm, to slurp up ants and termites.

While feral species like rabbits pose challenges, they also serve as a reminder to me of the importance of preserving and protecting native biodiversity on our farm.

An iconic Australian Native - the Eastern Short-beaked Echidna

Citizen Science School Incursion Program

If you’re intrigued by the idea of exploring and recording biodiversity in your local area, have a look at my Citizen Science Workshop. This workshop is designed to inspire and empower participants to use tools like iNaturalist to document and contribute to conservation efforts. Whether you’re a seasoned nature enthusiast or a curious beginner, this is a fantastic opportunity to deepen your understanding of the natural world while making a meaningful impact.

Exploring Biodiversity Through Citizen Science: Discovering Nature with iNaturalist

When I tell children what I do for a living, I often start by saying I’m a farmer. Then, I elaborate and tell them I’m a bee farmer, beekeeper, or apiarist. But in truth, I like to think of myself as a biodiversity farmer. We have 45 acres of rural conservation land in the Pyrenees Shire of Victoria, in a little place called Amphitheatre.  It’s a small slice of paradise, surrounded by hills and mountains. Best of all, it’s an incredible wildlife corridor where creatures come and go with the seasons, and the same goes for the flora and fungi and even the microorganisms in the soil. I’m always amazed at how life just magically appears as the climate and conditions and food sources change.

Helen Charles - Beekeeper and Biodiversity Farmer.

Over the years, I’ve been documenting these changes by taking photographs and recording observations using a wonderful app called iNaturalist. In a nutshell, iNaturalist is a social network for nature enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge of the natural world around them. It’s also a powerful citizen science tool: the data collected by everyday people can help scientists and land managers make informed conservation decisions. It’s a seriously awesome app if you’re a nature nerd like me!

A few years ago, I had the privilege of writing the Citizen Science Toolkit for Parks Victoria. This resource offers a comprehensive overview of Citizen Science and guides people on how to record biodiversity using iNaturalist. It’s a great starting point for anyone looking to get involved in this fast growing global community.

Recently, I had an encounter with a fascinating little beetle on our farm. It was feasting on insects that were, in turn, feeding on a dead animal carcass. The beetle had a bright red head with a central black spot in the middle and a shiny blue-black body. It looked so cool and a bit sinister! Since I’d never seen this beetle before, I took multiple photos from different angles (a great tip for aiding identification) and uploaded them to my iNaturalist account.

Devil's Coach Horse beetle, Creophilus eryhrocephalus, prowls with its striking red head and predatory presence.

Thanks to technology, the app quickly provided suggestions based on image recognition and data from similar species observed nearby. This distinctive creature was identified as a “Devil’s Coach Horse” beetle. How cool is that name?  From there, I was able to learn more about it. The Devil’s Coach Horse is a voracious predator that feeds on a variety of invertebrates, including maggots (fly larvae), and is typically found in rotting animal carcasses. This beetle has been associated with the devil since the Middle Ages and is also known as the “Devil’s Footman.” Watching these accomplished predators in action felt like a scene from survival thriller ‘Squid Game’. Other insects feeding on the carcass were in a precarious situation, risking their lives with the prize often coming at a deadly cost!

Five kilometers up a 4WD track, on my farm, surrounded by nature’s food web, I’m able to fill my head with knowledge and truly understand the ecosystem around me with some help from iNaturalist.

Citizen Science School Incursion Program

If you’re intrigued by the idea of exploring and recording biodiversity in your local area, have a look at my Citizen Science Workshop. This workshop is designed to inspire and empower participants to use tools like iNaturalist to document and contribute to conservation efforts. Whether you’re a seasoned nature enthusiast or a curious beginner, this is a fantastic opportunity to deepen your understanding of the natural world while making a meaningful impact.