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Hello everyone,
This is a poor picture, but it has the merit of Action.
When I first viewed it some years ago, I thought " a bug (Nabidae) eating a chironomid" and left it at that. Revisiting it during the long winter evenings, I see it was frankly foolish : it's a fly eating a fly of course, hence it belongs to this forum. My only excuse was the enlarged median femur of the predator.
Can anyone comment about the predator's family - or more ?
Size is small - witness the prey which was a typical chironomid (I think)
Heron (Belgium) July 6th 2004.

TIA
Philippe

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The happy killer fly is a Platypalpus (Hybitidae).

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*Hybotidae. Taking on a chironomid. I hope its stomach can handle that much chironomid.

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Well, it was quite swollen already, anyway!
Philippe

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That was probably due to a large amount of eggs. Energy will need to be replenished after these are deposited.