Those who have joined us at Andros South, especially those who have joined us in the spring, are likely all-too familiar with Diachlorus ferrugatus; those pesky horse-flies most often referred to as ‘doctor flies’ throughout the Bahamas.
Perhaps what you didn’t know is that there’s a guardian amongst our flats. A people’s champion. A vigilante protecting the exposed skin of anglers from doctor flies on the regular. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its known by the folks on South Andros as a ‘doctor fly killer,’ and its pictured above.
Often mistaken for a hornet or wasp, doctor fly killers are identifiable by their green and black barring and hover around areas with high concentrations of doctor flies, patiently waiting for their moment to strike. They attack doctor flies in the air, on the ground, and they’ll even take them right off of your pant leg if you watch closely. Heck, we’ve even tossed a swatted doctor fly up in the air and seen a doctor fly killer take it right out of the air!
So, the next time you’re on the flats, if you’re lucky enough to be visited by a doctor fly killer, don’t shoo it away.. They’re the good guys.
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