ASILIDAE (ROBBER FLY) PAGE

A Web Page by Roy J. Beckemeyer

Last updated: 25 September 2008

Photograph by Roy Beckemeyer --- Promachus bastardii (Macquart) 1838 (male) photographed 14 June, 2006 in Sim Park, Sedgwick County, Kansas.  Note the yellow hairs on the fore tarsi.

"Robber flies (Asilidae) are a widely distributed group of predatory flies which largely inhabit semi-arid and arid regions of the world." - Lavigne et al, 1978

     LINK HERE FOR A PAGE WITH OBSERVATIONS OF ROBBER FLIES FEEDING ON ANTS

LINK HERE FOR IMAGES OF Mallophora orcina taken 23 August, 2008 at Ninnescah Field Station

This robber fly, Diptera: Asilidae: Asilinae: Asilini: Wyliea mydas (Brauer) 1885, is a  spider wasp mimic (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsis) .  Photographed along the San Francisco River in Catron County, New Mexico, near the Highway 180 bridge just west of the town of Luna, NM and just east of the Arizona border.   A most impressive and beautiful asilid.  Photographed 30 July, 2007 by Roy Beckemeyer.  See Martin, C. H., 1975, "The generic and specific characters of four old and six new Asilini genera in the western United States, Mexico and Central America (Diptera: Asilidae)".  Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 19, 107 pp. (p. 78-79).  

LINK HERE for Photos of Museum Specimens of Wyliea mydas Provided by Fritz Geller-Grimm 

Left: Specimen of male Promachus albifacies Williston, 1885, from Kansas State University collection.  Determined by J. Wilcox [Madera Canyon, Sant Rita Mountains, AZ, 1 June, 1961 leg. Rh & EM Painter]

A Prairie Robber Fly:

The photo on the right shows a Diogmites angustipennis with a captured honey bee (Apis sp.).  The robber fly is hanging from the grass by its fore legs and holding and manipulating the prey with the other 4 legs.  Photographed at Pawnee Prairie Park, Wichita, August 2000 using a Nikon 200mm Macro lens in natural light, Fuji 100 slide film.  I have observed these insects a number of times this month as they selectively worked flower stands in search of hymenoptera.  They actively move around, responding to the arrival of new insects at the flowers by changing position and facing them.  I watched one fly at, then away from a bumblebee (Bombus sp.), apparently deciding it was too big.  Once they have a bee or wasp, they fly off into the grass to feed.  When disturbed, they fly away, but never climb very high or fly very far, appearing to have a tough time carrying the load.  Click HERE for a sketch of this robber fly based on a photograph taken at this location, and HERE for a look at the same sketch used as the Cover Illustration for Volume 33 of The Prairie Naturalist (Published by The North Dakota Natural Science Society).

Left: Diogmites angustipennis Loew 1866 [Sugarland, TX, 2 July 1933, det by J. Wilcox, leg. R. Nabours/C. Sabrosky], KSU collection.

Right: Diogmites misellus Loew 1866 [Edgartwon, MA, 1 July 1922, leg. C. W. Johnson, det. J. WIlcox], KSU collection.

LINKS TO INFORMATION MOSTLY ABOUT KANSAS ASILIDAE:

• Preliminary list of Kansas species - Alphabetical by Genus (Last Updated July 2001)

• References on Asilidae from my library (Updated Jan. 2007)

• Tucker's 1907 Paper on CO & KS Asilidae

• Map of Microstylum distribution in US compiled by R. Beckemeyer & R. Charlton (Updated March 2002 - map and next 2 images are from a paper that appeared in Entomological News Mar-Apr 2000, 111(2):84-96)

• Image of M. galactodes and M. morosum scanned by R. Charlton of Kansas State Univ.

• Photo of M. morosum in life taken by R.J. Elzinga of Kansas State Univ.

• Color photo of M. morosum in life taken by Roy Beckemeyer in Noble Co. Oklahoma.

• Smith et al, 1962, Insects of Kansas Asilidae Pages

• Comparison of morphology of odonate and asilid - introduction

Photo, above right: Diptera: Asilidae: Asilinae: Apocleini: Triorla interrupta (male), photographed by Roy Beckemeyer 15 June, 2006 at Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas.

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SOME ROBBER FLY IMAGES (Video views of specimens taken through dissecting scope eyepiece at various magnifications; habitus photos Nikon D100 with 200 mm macro lens and flash)

• ASILINAE:

• Efferia albibarbus (Macquart), 1838  -  Left, Male [Santa Rita Mtns, AZ, collected Aug. 9, 1930, leg. T.F. Winburn/R.H. Painter, Det'd by J. WIlcox], Right, Female [Wilcox, AZ, 11 July, 1930, leg. T.F.  Winburn/R.H. Painter, Det's J. Wilcox].  Specimens from KSU collection.  

• Megophorus acrus  (From the Kansas State University collection.  "KANS: Finney Co. / 1 mi SW Garden City / Aug. 5, 1963 / N&B Marston-8", "Mallophorina / acra / Curr. / det. Cole" - lateral habitus photo
• M. acrus - lateral view of head & thorax {0.145 mm/div)
• M. acrus - front view of head (0.010 mm/div)
• M. acrus - dorsal view of wing (0.145 mm/div)
• M. acrus - lateral view of abdomen (0.145 mm/div)
• M. acrus - lateral view of tarsus of rt. hind leg (0.035 mm/div)

• Ommatius sp. (from my collection) - Antennae (0.05 mm/div)
• Ommatius sp. Wing venation and dorsal view of abdomen (0.145 mm/div)
• Ommatius sp. Anterior view of face (0.075 mm/div)
• Ommatius sp. Lateral view of head and thorax (0.145 mm/div)

• Ommatius gemma  (from the Kansas State University collection.  "Manhattan, Ks. / 10 July 1959", "N. Marston / Collector", "Ommatius gemma / Brim. '69 / det. J. Wilcox") - lateral habitus photo
• O. gemma - lateral view of head (0.066 mm/div)
• O. gemma - lateral view of abdomen (0.145 mm/div)
• O. gemma - dorsal view of left wing (0.145 mm/div)

• Proctacanthella leucopogon (from the Kansas State University Collection.  Male:  "4 mi E. / Sterling, Colo. / VII-9-66", "4000 ft.",  "R.H. & E. M. / Painter / Collectors", "Proctacanthella / leucopogon / Will. / det. J. Wilcox") - lateral habitus photo

• P. leucopogon - dorsal view of right wing (0.145 mm/div)

• P. leucopogon - lateral view of head (0.071 mm/div)

• P. leucopogon - lateral view of left antenna (0.035 mm/div)

• P. leucopogon - lateral view of terminal abdominal segments & terminalia (0.66 mm/div)

• P. leucopogon (from the KSU collection.  Female:  "Sells, Ariz / 31-VII-32", "H. Painter / Collector", "Proctacanthella / leucopogon / Will. '69 / det. J. Wilcox") - lateral habitus photo

• P. leucopogon -  ventral view of antennae (0.035 mm/div)

• P. leucopogon - lateral view of terminal abdominal segments and terminalia (0.66 mm/div)

• Proctacanthus brevipennis  (from the KSU collection.  Male:  "Manh't'n, Ks / June", "R.H. Painter / Collector", "Proctacanthus / dimidiatus / Wied. '69 ' det. J. Wilcox", "Kansas State / University Insect / Collection",  "Proctacanthus / brevipennis (Wied.) / determined 1989 / C. Riley Nelson" - lateral habitus photo

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of head (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of thorax (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of terminalia (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - dorsal view of terminalia (0.065 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - front view of head (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - dorsal view of distal portion of wing (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - dorsal view of proximal portion of wing (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - left front tarsus (0.065 mm/div)

• Proctacanthus brevipennis - (From the KSU collection:  Female: "Reno Co., Ks. / VI-15-1952 / H.E. Evans", "Proctacanthus / dimidiatus / Wied. '69 ' det. J. Wilcox",  "Proctacanthus / brevipennis (Wied.) / determined 1989 / C. Riley Nelson" - lateral habitus photo

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of terminalia (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - antenna (0.065 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of thorax (0.145 mm/div)

• P. brevipennis - lateral view of head (0.145 mm/div)

• Proctacanthus milbertii - (From the KSU collection.  Female with hymenopteran prey: "Kiowa Co.", "Colo.", "Aug. 10", "Elevation / 4000 ft.", "R.H. Painter / Collector", "Proctacanthus / milbertii / Macq. '69 / det. J. Wilcox", "Proctacanthus / milbertii Macquart / determined 1989 / C. Riley Nelson" - lateral habitus photo

• Proctacanthus micans - (From the KSU collection.  Female:  "Beulah / Colo.", "August 8", "Elevation / 7000 ft.", "R.H. Painter / Collector", "Pueblo, Co. / det. / C.R. Ne.son 1989", "Kansas State / University Insect / Collection", "Proctacanthus / micans Schiner / determined 1989 / C. Riley Nelson" - lateral habitus photo

• LEPTOGASTRINAE

• Leptogaster murina (from the KSU collection.  "Riley Co., Kans. / 10 June 1956 / Wm. W. Gibson", "At / lights", "Leptogaster / murinus / Lw. '69 / det. J. Wilcox" - lateral habitus photo

• L. murina - lateral view of head & thorax (0.065 mm/div)

• L. murina - lateral view of terminalia (0.035 mm/div)

• L. murina - dorsal view of wing (0.10 mm/div)

• STENOPOGONINAE

• Ospriocerus abdominalis (from the KSU Collection.  "Morril Co., Nebr. / July 7, 1958", "R.H. & E. M. / Painter / Collectors", "Ospriocerus / abdominalis / (Say) / Det. C.H. Martin 1965") - lateral habitus photo (Note antennae broken off this specimen - see two photos below of another specimen)

• O. abdominalis - dorsal view of right wing (0.145 mm/div)

• O. abdominalis - lateral view of abdomen (0.145 mm/div)

• Ospriocerus abdominalis (from the KSU collection.  "Morril Co., Nebr. / July 7, 1958", "R.H. & E.M. / Painter / Collectors", "Ospriocerus / abdominalis / (Say) / Det. C.H. Martin 1965", stored as O. aecus in the KSU collection) - tip of right antenna - medial view (0.035 mm/div)

• O. abdominalis - lateral view of head (0.145 mm/div)

• STICHOPOGONINAE:

• Stichopogon trifasciatus (Say) (from my collection) Wing venation and dorsal abdominal pattern (0.145mm/div)
• Stichopogon trifasciatus (Say) Lateral view of head and thorax (0.145mm/div)
• Stichopogon trifasciatus (Say) Front view of head (0.05mm/div)

• Stichopogon pritchardi Bromley, 1951 - specimen from the KSU collection (Reno County, Kansas, det'd by C.H. Martin)

Above: Left - Anterio-lateral view of head and thorax; Center - Lateral habitus; Right - Dorsal habitus; Stichopogon pritchardi - Microphotographs taken through dissecting scope with Nikon 990 digital camera with flash.

LINKS TO OTHER SITES OF INTEREST TO ROBBER FLY ENTHUSIASTS

• Fritz Geller-Grimm's Asilidae Home Page - The Robber Fly Site - Everything you wanted to know and more.

• Artigas & Geller-Grimm: Species Catalog & Key to Nearctic Asilidae Genera - The place to start on Nearctic Asilidae

• Phylogeny of the robber flies by Bybee et al. (Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2004, 30:789-797), pdf file at the Whiting Lab web site.

• Herschel Raney's Arkansas Asilidae Pages - Wonderful photos, identification aids and lots of robber fly information.

• Norm Lavers' Field Guide to Robber Flies of Crowley's Ridge, Arkansas - A great, concise but info-packed guide to over 60 robber flies.

• Jeffrey Barnes' University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum Web Page on Arkansas Robber Flies

• Georgia Asilidae by Giff Beaton

• Greg Lasley's Asilidae Photos

• G & J Strickland's Asilidae Images - Nice job of including 3 views and scale bar with images

• Robert J. Lavigne's Univ. Wyoming Ag. Exper. Sta. published bibliography to Asilidae literature 1977-1995

• Rob Canning's Robber Flies of the Montane Cordillera Ecotone

• Tosten Dikow's Euscelidia Web Pages

• Stephen Bullington's Laphriini Pages

• Robber Flies of Brisbane, Australia Area

• BugGuide Robber Fly Pages

• Tree of Life Brachycera  Pages

• University of Florida Robber Fly Pages

• UMMZ Asilidae Species Specimen List

• University of Texas Breckenridge Field Laboratory Asilidae Species List

• University of Wisconsin Asilidae Species Specimen List

• Bishop Museum Asilidae Holdings

• Bishop Musuem Fossil Asilidae Catalog

• Primary Types of Asilidae at Ohio State University - Mostly species described by Hine and Bromley

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