What is this?

[***super_nova***]

I took this photo as I was talking some pictures in my garden and this thing just landed on the stake!  I only snapped one photo and it was gone, wasp and all.  But what is  it?

[kopenhagen5]

Nice, looks like a dragon fly with a european wasp for dinner.

[***super_nova***]

I do not think it had dragonfly wings.  It happned so fast, but I think the wings were only slightly longer than its body.

[bluecat*dancing]

An alien

[enigmabear]

An Asilidae / Robber fly, maybe?

[electric*mayhem*band]

Not being David Attenborough, to me the eyes look wrong for a Dragonfly, plus their bodies are slimmer and more elongated than the one in your picture. The colouring looks wrong too. It's dull and lack lustre. Dragonflies are colourful, with a metalic sheen.

[kopenhagen5]

Yeah, I also thought the same but then perhaps a young dragonfly?

Then again they probably emerge as adults.

Edit - Think you got it Bear.   aka - assassin fly

[lind9650 · Accepted solution]

You are right. It is also called the bee killer and attacks even web spinning spiders.

Common brown robber fly.

Erica

[esayaf]

We need plenty more of them. Then they can eat all the European wasps

[***super_nova***]

I wonder if they bite.  I am sort of glad I do not have many of them here.  It was huge.  The wasp was pretty big one.