Nature’s Call – Stiletto fly
Not all flies are filthy disease spreading pests and not all flies deserve to be squashed.
They were all created to play their vital role in the food chain, whether that be helping to decompose rotting material or as a carnivore of other insects.
The stiletto fly is another example of a fly that deserves to be preserved, especially if you are a gardener.
There are some 1 600 different species of stiletto fly found worldwide. They are most common and diverse in arid and semi-arid areas, favouring sandy soil. The larvae live in sandy soil, where they prey on other insect larvae. The adult also feeds on other small insects.
These flies are similar in behavior to the robber fly family, which are also a carnivorous species.
I often find the stiletto fly in my garden on the Bluff, but seldom see robber flies. The robber fly seems to favour more natural areas such as the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve.
If you would like to make contact with Warren to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or spiders identified, send him a WhatsApp or call him on 072-211-0353.
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