Frankfort Man Wins Forest Preserve Photo Contest

FRANKFORT, IL — A carnivorous cannibalfly chewed up the competition in August’s portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest.

The shot of the red-footed cannibalfly, taken by Frankfort resident Michael Fagan at Hickory Creek Preserve, is a close-up of this bug-eyed predator which feasts on bees, wasps and other flies, as well as larger prey such as grasshoppers.

"This particular photo was taken at Hickory Creek Barrens access," Fagan said. "I was walking the path just north of the bridge over the creek. I was taking a photo of a flower when the cannibalfly flew to a stem close to me. It was so properly camouflaged in its environment. Even though I saw it land I had a hard time distinguishing it from the surrounding foliage. It was a lucky find. An app I found on flying insects made it possible to identify."

The red-footed cannibalfly is one of around 1,000 species of robber flies in the United States and 4,700 that have been identified throughout the world. The bug is built like a linebacker, according to an article written by Joe Boggs for Ohio State University’s Backyard Garden Online. The cannibalfly uses its tarsal claws like grappling hooks and smashes into its quarry, he wrote. Cannibalflies then use piercing-sucking mouthparts to inject saliva containing enzymes that paralyze their victims so they can digest their prey’s internal tissues.

In addition to Fagan’s winning photo, judges awarded honorable mentions in August to:

•Evi Kempf of Naperville for a stunning sunset shot that illuminates the big red barn at Riverview Farmstead Preserve in Naperville.

•Kathy Bobal of Braidwood for a portrait of a sharp-eyed hawk squatting in the rain at McKinley Woods – Kerry Sheridan Grove in Channahon.

•Vida Gilvydis of Homer Glen for two grasshoppers having a close encounter on a leaf at Whalon Lake in Naperville.

•Joseph Traina of Joliet for a shot of a moist muskrat at McKinley Woods in Channahon.

All of the August entries can be viewed on the Forest Preserve Flickr page at Flickr.com/WillCoForests. The photo contest began May 1 and concludes Dec. 31. Eight monthly winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and the top three winners will be determined in January by a public vote on the District’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/WillCoForests, with the first-place winner receiving $500; second place, $250; and third place, $150.

Photos must be taken by amateur photographers age 18 or older, and they must be snapped in a Will County forest preserve during the contest period. For more information and rules, visit ReconnectWithNature.org. The contest is sponsored by The Nature Foundation of Will County.

Photo: A close-up of a red-footed cannibalfly taken by Frankfort resident Michael Fagan was the top photo in August for the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest. Fagan’s photo will be one of eight finalists competing for top honors via online voting after the contest concludes on Dec. 31./Forest Preserve District of Will County

Article via Forest Preserve District of Will County.