Lampyrid firefly preying on a giant African snail

[orionmystery]

Lampyridae firefly (Lamprigera sp. - ID credit: Michael Geiser, Gene Mesher) attacking and later eating a Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica. ID credit: Tan Siong-Kiat, Marcus Ng) that it killed earlier. Selangor, Malaysia.

8:36pm
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4376 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

8:36pm
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4377 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

8:36pm the snail tried to escape...
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4378 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

8:37pm
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4379 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

8:38 pm
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4382 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

8:38pm
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4383 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

11:44pm we were on the way out of the forest park and I tried to look for the Lampyrid and snail again. Took me a few minutes but I finally found them, but I startled the beetle and it stopped eating the snail
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4423 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

11:47pm..i waited..and a few minutes later, the Lampyrid resumed its escargot supper.
Lamprigera sp. preying on Giant African Snail IMG_4429 copy by Kurt (orionmystery.blogspot.com), on Flickr

 

[Flyextreme]

Very well captured series.

 

[Tight Knot]

WOW!! Amazing series!! And great photos.

 

[orionmystery]

WOW!! Amazing series!! And great photos.

Thank you, Tight Knot

 

[_t_is_me_]

It gives me the heebie-jeebies, but I like it! Very cool. (Poor snail.)

 

[orionmystery]

It gives me the heebie-jeebies, but I like it! Very cool. (Poor snail.)

Thanks, _t_is_me. Nothing to feel sorry about for the snail. It's an invasive species and ought to be eliminated.

 

[mrs.hankIII]

That just creeps me out. If I ever saw one of those beetles in person, I would start running and never stop.

 

[baturn]

Outstanding photos! Thanks for sharing.

 

[orionmystery]

That just creeps me out. If I ever saw one of those beetles in person, I would start running and never stop.

LOL...it's not that scary

Outstanding photos! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Brian