April is butterfly counting month. I could have shown you a slew of butterflies for this edition of #YearInReview. Instead, let me perhaps introduce you to a fascinating critter that is equally photogenic in its own way!

Indeed, I encountered this “fella” (boy or girl? no idea!) while counting butterflies at Allen Acres in Vernon Parish. But as always, I rarely am able to focus on just ‘one thing’ when I am out in the natural world with my camera.

This is not the first robber fly I have encountered. Indeed, over time I have become increasingly interested in robber flies and am always on the look-out for one. Those googly eyes and hair tufts protruding everywhere never fail to draw my eye.

I have a ways to go in learning to ID them. Through my own research online, I correctly located this one in the Laphria Genus, but it took the help of other experts on iNaturalist to give me the speeies ID–and it is the first of this particular species of Robber Fly in my collection of images.

Sorry for the disconnected nature of this #YearInReview. February got hijacked with unexpected life events, but I will continue to plug away. Thanks for hanging in.