A Literature-based Checklist of Kansas Robber Flies (Diptera: Asilidae)

 

ROY J. BECKEMEYER

 

957 Perry Ave,  Wichita, KS 67203-3141

 

ABSTRACT

 

Robber flies constitute an important taxonomic component of the grassland entomofauna.  They are significant predators on a variety of insects including Hymenoptera and Orthoptera.  However, they seem to have been little studied in the central prairies.  The only previous list of the Kansas asilid fauna, which was published in 1903 and supplemented in 1905, 1907 and 1909, included 47 species of which 44 were valid.  The present paper, based on an extensive review of the literature, lists all robber fly species  recorded for Kansas.  The checklist is presented together with annotations from the cited literature giving counties of record, specimen collection dates, and other pertinent information.  Species are listed in the checklist using the most current name, but a synonym cross reference list is provided so that current nomenclature for any cited species from the literature can be quickly located.  It is hoped that this list, which includes 122 confirmed and another 14 possible species for Kansas, will spur further interest in the study of the robber flies of the central plains.

 

Keywords:  Asilidae     Diptera     Kansas     prairie     robber flies    

 

INTRODUCTION

 

In his treatise on the robber flies  (Asilidae) of the world, Hull (1962) noted that they comprise  “one of the largest and most abundant families of present day insects...The majority of species...frequent dry and sandy areas, a condition well shown by the greater number of species found in arid and semiarid regions.”  There are currently more than 6,700 species of robber flies known in total (F. Geller-Grimm, Frankfurt, Germany.  unpub. data), and just under a thousand for the Nearctic (E.M. Fisher and J. Wilcox, 1997. They include in their definition of the Nearctic region the Central Plateau of Mexico south to 20 degrees N. latitude). 

 

Ranging from small to quite large (50 mm) in size, robber flies are predaceous on other insects and are often significant predators of bees, other flies, and grasshoppers.  They are visual predators, usually watching from perches on the ground or vegetation for flying prey, so that open areas like deserts, grasslands, and savannas are favored habitats.

 

It is therefore surprising that, of the central tier of prairie states from Texas north through North Dakota, Texas and Nebraska are the only ones that have had reviews of their asilid fauna published.  In 1907 Jones reported 51 species-level taxa for Nebraska.   Jones commented that “Most of the material upon which this paper is based was collected from the northwestern part of the state...Although there are a good many forms represented...the number is low in comparison with what might be secured by more careful collecting.  The entire State seems to be especially adapted to a large development of the family Asilidae.”  It is unfortunate that, after this promising start, there has to date been no further work published on Nebraska robber flies.

 

In 1934 and 1935 Bromley reviewed the asilids of Texas, listing 164 species for the state.  He noted that Texas has “...a tremendous variety of both flora and fauna.  The...Asilidae...[are] represented to an extent unparalleled either in species or in individuals by any other region in the country.”    Colorado robber flies were reviewed by James in 1941 and 1942.  He recorded 150 species for that state. 

 

The only previous publications to list the asilid fauna of Kansas were Snow’s 1903 preliminary list of Kansas Diptera (which included 33 species and listed counties of record), and several subsequent additions to that list.  Additions were made by Crevecoeur (1905, 8 additional species collected near his home in Onaga, Pottawatomie County) and by Tucker (1907, 5 additional species, and 1909a,b, one additional species).  These brought the total for Kansas to 47 species of which 44 were valid names (three of the species listed by Snow are now known to be synonyms of other species on the list). 

 

Cockerell (1905) compared the Kansas and New Mexico Diptera faunas in terms of total numbers, but did not list species.  His Kansas numbers were based on Snow’s list of 1903.  He gave the Asilidae numbers as: unique to Kansas, 29; common to Kansas and New Mexico, 4; unique to New Mexico, 34.  Martin, in his 1965 survey of American Asilidae, included a map on which he indicated 67 species for Kansas, though he did not list them.  (It should be noted that he also showed the following numbers on his map:  3 for North Dakota, 10 for South Dakota, 34 for Nebraska, 32 for Oklahoma, 148 for Texas, 97 for New Mexico, and 88 for Colorado.  The numbers for Nebraska, Texas, and Colorado are considerably lower than those listed in the individual state surveys  by Jones, Bromley and James.  Because Martin did not provide lists of species or discuss the source of his numbers, it is difficult to account for the numerical differences.  In any event, it certainly appears that the low species numbers for the Dakotas, Nebraska and Oklahoma as compared to Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado are likely artifacts of inadequate collecting and survey work rather than true reflections of depauperate robber fly faunas.)

 

I work mostly with Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), and originally became interested in robber flies because, like the dragonflies, they are visually-oriented predators that take their prey in flight.  The differences in functional morphology and behavior in the two groups are quite fascinating.  In attempting to identify  robber flies using the assortment of keys required (that have been published over a period of nearly a hundred years) I quickly came to want very much a list of likely species for the region and a catalog listing synonyms and valid species.  The catalog was provided by Eric Fisher in the form of a draft unpublished manuscript, “Catalog of the robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of the Nearctic region” (Fisher and Wilcox July 1997).  The list of species resulted from a three-year-long literature search and review, and it is that list  which is presented here.

 

METHODS

 

In this paper I list 122 species for which occurrence in Kansas has been specifically noted in the literature (Section 1 of the list), and another 14 species that might occur here (Section 2 of the list).  The list has been constructed by reviewing the literature cited.  I have not included any information based on a personal review of museum collections.  The list is intended to provide a starting point and reference source to aid in a more complete survey that should include a review of museum and other collection material. 

 

Higher order taxonomy is based on Fisher and Wilcox (1997).  Family and Tribe to which each genus is assigned are per this reference and are listed in square brackets [ ] after the genus, author and date of description in the checklist.  New combinations proposed by Fisher (in Fisher and Wilcox 1997), are used here, but synonyms or  new taxa to be published in his final manuscript are of course not incorporated here pending publication of the catalog.  If a species cited to occur in Kansas has been synonymized (other than in Fisher and Wilcox, 1997) subsequent to the citation, the species is listed only under the most recent name.  However, a list of synonyms is included at the end of this paper that will direct the reader from the synonym to the current name used in the checklist (Section 3 of the list).  Section 4 of the list gives misidentified species names used in the literature, and Section 5 lists species names which are problematic.

 

Citations used as authority for listing Kansas species and any discussion are given in curly brackets { } after the species entry. Notes on occurrences in surrounding prairie states  (Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska) that were encountered incidentally in my review of the literature are also included.  If I have not personally seen a citation as to occurrence in Kansas, I have included the record by either quoting the secondary source which quotes the original author, or by noting that the citation is “vide [referring source]”.  I have sought to obtain copies of all cited literature, but have not always succeeded.  However, note that only two percent, or eight of the more than 350 citations, are secondary rather than direct quotes.  This list is arranged alphabetically by genus, then alphabetically by species within each genus.   

 

 

 

 

CHECKLIST OF KANSAS ROBBER FLIES

 

ASILIDAE Latreille, 1804-1805, of Kansas:

 

1.  SPECIES REPORTED TO OCCUR IN KANSAS:

 

Asilus Linnaeus 1758 [ASILINAE: ASILINI]

 

sericeus Say 1823 {Williston, 1893: “Numerous specimens, New England States, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kansas.”; Snow, 1903: “Hamilton and Morton counties.”; Hine, 1909: "Generally distributed over the eastern part of North America from Canada to Texas and at least as far west as Kansas."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Pa.; Kans., Ind., Conn., Mass., N.J.”}

 

Atomosia Macquart 1838 [LAPHRIINAE: ATOMOSIINI]

 

puella (Wiedemann) 1828 {Howard, 1901 [vide Lavigne, 1999, personal communication]; Crevecoeur, 1905, Pottawatomie County: “Common.  I have taken it along sloughs and in the timber along creeks from June to September.”; Bromley, 1934 [vide Baker and Fischer, 1975: “Bromley...reports this species from New York southward to Florida and westward to Illinois, Kansas and Texas.”]; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Ohio to Pa., s. to Tex. and Fla.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "...Kans. to Mich. and Maine, s. to Ariz. and Fla..."}

 

punctifera Hermann 1912  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "...Kans, to Tex. and Miss."}

 

pusilla Macquart 1838 {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "...Wyo., Kans., Mo., Pa., La."}

 

rufipes Macquart 1847 {Snow, 1903: “Morton county.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Pa.; Tex., Fla.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Pa.; Ohio to Mass., s. to Tex. And Fla.”}

 

sayii Johnson 1903 {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Pa.; Kans. to Pa., s. to Tex., Fla."}

 

Beameromyia Martin 1957 [LEPTOGASTRINAE]

 

kawiensis Martin 1957  {Kansas is the type locality; Martin, 1957:  “HOLOTYPE: Male, Manhattan, Kansas, May 25, sand dunes (R.H. Painter).  ALLOTYPE: Female, same locality, June, sand dunes (R.H. Painter).  PARATYPES: Same data as holotype, female; June (R.H. Painter), one male, six females.”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans."}

 

pictipes (Loew) 1862 {Crevecoeur, 1905, Pottawatomis County, as Leptogaster varipes Loew: “Some years quite common; on the prairies during the latter part of June.”; Martin, 1957: “…The range seems to be a narrow belt extending from Kansas to Maryland…Kansas: Pottawatomie Co., June 5, 1932 (S.W. Sabrosky); Manhattan, June 5, 1932 (R.H. Painter); Lawrence (J.M. Aldrich).”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Ill.; narrow belt from Kans. to Md.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Ill.; Kans. to Pa., Iowa, Md."}

 

prairiensis Martin 1957 {Kansas is type locality; Martin, 1957: “HOLOTYPE: Male, Ellis County, Kansas, June 9, 1950 (R.H. Painter).  ALLOTYPE: Female…same data as holotype.  PARATYPES: Three males, same data as holotype.”;  :Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.")}

 

Ceraturgus Wiedemann 1824 [STENOPOGONINAE: CERATURGINI]

 

cruciatus (Say) 1823 {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Ark.; S. Dak. to Mass., s. to Ark. and Fla.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Ark.; S. Dak. to Maine, s. to Kans. and Fla."}

 

Cerotainia Schiner 1866 [LAPHRIINAE: ATOMOSOMINI]

 

macrocera Say 1823 {Tucker, 1907: "Kansas, Douglas county; July."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Pa.; Ohio, N.J. to Fla.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Pa.; Ohio to Conn., s. to Miss. and Fla., Kans., Mo.”}

 

Cerotainiops Curran 1930 [LAPHRIINAE: ANDRENOSOMINI]

 

abdominalis (Brown) 1897 {Pritchard, 1942: “...a rather variable species with a wide range in the southwest...Specimens examined. - KANSAS: one female, Comanche Co., 1916, 2089 ft. (R.H. Beamer). OKLAHOMA...TEXAS...NEW MEXICO...ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA...”; Martin, 1959a: “The range of this species is from Kansas southward into Texas and westward into southern California.”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “N. Mex.; Calif., Ariz., Kans., Okla., Tex.”}

 

Cophura Osten Sacken 1887 [DASYPOGONINAE: ISOPOGONINI]

 

stylosa Curran 1931 {Curran, 1931: "Type.-Female, Woods Co., Oklahoma, July 1, 1930..."; Pritchard, 1943: "Specimens are at hand from Boise City, Oklahoma (July); Clark Co., Kansas, (June); Kiowa Co., Colorado (August 19); and Sweetwater, Texas (June 15)."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: "Okla.; Colo., Kans., Tex."; Cole, 1969: "...has its type locality and center of distribution in Oklahoma and Kansas, but a specimen was collected in Kiowa Co., Colo."}

 

Cyrtopogon Loew 1847 [STENOPOGONINAE: CYRTOPOGONINI]

 

profusus Osten Sacken 1877 {Back, 1909: "Habitat:- Morino Valley, N.M.; Sangre de Cristo Mts., Col.; Kans. (F.H. snow)."; Melander, 1923 [vide R. Lavigne, 1998, personal communication]; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: "N. Mex.; Colo., Kans."}

 

Dasylechia Williston 1907 [LAPHRIINAE: DASYLECHIINI]

 

atrox (Williston) 1883 {Baker and Fischer, 1975: “This species has been collected from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, and Utah.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Pa.; Utah, Kans., Iowa, Ill., Mich., Ohio, N.Y., N.J."}

 

Dicropaltum Martin 1975 [ASILINAE: ASILINI]

 

mesae (Tucker) 1907 {Tucker, 1907 described the species from Colorado Springs, Colorado, as Tolmerus mesae; Hine, 1909 as Asilus mesae: "Specimens are at hand from Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas. The types are in the Francis Huntington Snow Collection."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965 as Asilus mesae: “...Colo.; Wyo., Kans.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Colo.; B.C. and Alta., s. to Calif., N. Mex. and Kans. N.comb.”}

 

pawneeae Martin 1975  {Kansas is type locality; Martin, 1975:  “Holotype: male, Pawnee County, Kansas.”}

 

rubicundus (Hine) 1909 {Kansas is type locality.; Hine, 1909 as Asilus rubicundus: "Specimens of this small and distinct species have been taken at Onagan [sic, should be Onaga, in Pottawatomie County], Kansas by Crevecoeur in June and July..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965 as Asilus rubicundus: “...Kans.; Ill.”; Martin, 1975, as Dicropaltum rubicundus: “Kansas; Illinois.”}

 

Diogmites Loew 1866 [DASYPOGONINAE: LASTAURINI]

 

angustipennis Loew 1866 {Williston, 1883, as Deromyia angustipennis: “A single specimen from Kansas…”; Snow, 1903, as Deromtia angustipennis: “Wallace, Logan and Sedgwick counties.”; Tucker, 1907, as Deromyia angustipennis: "Kansas, Sedgwick county; August, on open prairie"; Back, 1909 as Deromyia angustipennis: "Habitat.- Ks. (type); Colorado Springs, Col. (Osten-Sacken), Col. (Morrison, July 30); Ill. (Forbes); Glen, Sioux Co., and Lincoln, Nebr. (P.R. Jones)."; Evans and Yashimoto, 1962 (p. 72): “…a male wasp [Anoplius amethystinus atramentarius]was found to have been taken prey by the asilid fly Diogmites sp., possibly angustipennis Loew…near Manhattan, Kansas…”, (p. 91): “…a large asilid pounced upon the wasp [Sericopompilus apicalis] The wasp attempted to sting it, but the asilid held it far from its body and soon succeeded in piercing the cervical membrane of the wasp with its proboscis.  The fly proved to be Diogmites angustipennis Loew.”; Smith et al, 1962: "...common, velvety reddish-brown, long-legged prairie late summer species...has a high-pitched buzz and feeds on many common insects, including honeybees and wasps."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Kans.; Colo., Ill.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.; Wyo., Nebr., s. to N. Mex., Tex., Ill., MEX"}

 

misellus Loew 1866 {Williston, 1883, as Deromyia winthemi Wied.: “I have specimens from Indiana and Kansas that show no differences from a number of individuals that I captured…near New Haven.”; Snow, 1903, as Deromyia miscellus [sic] Loew: “Douglas county.”, and as Deromyia angustiventris Macquart: “Wallace county.”; Tucker, 1907, as Deromyia winthemi Wied.: "Kansas, Douglas county; August"; Martin, 1965 shows a map with the range of this species extending into the southeastern corner of Kansas.; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Ill. to Mass., s. to Tex. and Fla.”; Artigas, 1966, shows a specimen in Kansas on his distribution map for this species.; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "...Kans. to Mass., s. to Tex. and Fla."}

 

neoternatus (Bromley) 1931 {Bromley, 1931 as Deromyia neoternata: “Holotype male, Russell Co., Kansas, 1800 feet, August 26, 1912 (Coll. F.X. Williams), Allotype, female, Osborne Co., Kansas, 1557 feet, Aug. 3, 1912 (F.X. Williams). I have examined numerous species from Florida to Colorado and from Indiana to Texas.  I have collected the species in Missouri, South Carolina, and Indiana.   It occurs mostly where the herbage is rank at the edge of low fields...”; Martin, 1965 shows a map with the all of Kansas included in this species’ range.; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Kans.; Colo. to Ind., s. to Tex. and S.C.”; Artigas, 1966: "Material examined: KANSAS: Salina, 1 [female] ... NEBRASKA: Lincoln, 1 [male]...OKLAHOMA: Woods Co., 1 [male]...TEXAS..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.; Nev. to Iowa and Md., s. to Ariz. and Fla."}

 

platypterus Loew 1866 {Snow, 1903, as Deromyia platyptera: “Douglas, Sedgwick and Wallace counties.”;  Tucker, 1907, as Deromyia platyptera: "Kansas, Douglas county, July"; Back, 1909, as Deromyia platyptera: "Habitat.- ...Peru and Union, Neb. (P.R. Jones); Ames, Iowa (J.M. Aldrich)..."; Martin, 1965: “D. platypterus is found on both sides of the Mississippi River, ranging from eastern Texas northward to eastern Nebraska and from Alabama northward into Illinois.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Nebr. to Ill., s. to La. and Miss.”; Artigas, 1966: "Material examined: ...COLORADO: Ione...MISSOURI: Carterblue Mts...Stonehill...OKLAHOMA: Ft. Gibson...Gora...TEXAS..." His distribution map shows this species in Colorado, S. Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and east to Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida.; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “...Colo. and S. Dak. to Md., s. to Tex. and Ga.”}

 

symmachus Loew 1872 {Smith et al, 1962 list this species for Kansas; Martin, 1965 shows a map with the range of this species restricted to northern Mexico and southern Texas; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.”; Willis, 1967 (p. 207): “I have twice caught asilids eating Cicindela: Diogmites symmachus with C. togata…”;Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Tex.; N. Mex., Kans., Okla., Ark., La., MEX"}

 

ternatus Loew 1866 {Tucker, 1907, as Deromyia ternata: "Kansas, Douglas county; July, twilight, flying under the leaves of vines, bushes and weeds in back yards in town; only noticed in the past two years; reported as an enemy of the honey-bee in the country"; Back, 1909, as Deromyia ternata: "Habitat.- ...Round Mt., Tex.; Las Cruces, N.M. (Aug. 19, C.H.T. Townsend);  Garden City, Ks. [Finney County] (Aug.); Mo.; Rocky Ford, Col. (Aug. 7)"; Martin, 1965: “Diogmites ternatus Loew, a Cuban species, is probably from Louisiana since one of Loew’s specimens was from this state.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Cuba; La.”; Artigas, 1966: "Material examined: ...KANSAS: Doniphan [Co.], 1 [male]...TEXAS: Round Mt., 1 [male]...D. ternatus is a Cuban species that has been recorded several times in the United States.  It is often confused with D. neoternatus, but may be distinguished from that species by the central stripe of the mesonotum, which in ternatus extends anteriorly to the pronotum...but in neoternatus shades into reddish anteriorly and rarely reaches the pronotum...” His map for this species shows specimens from Missouri, the northeastern and southwestern corners of Kansas, the southwestern corner of Colorado, and Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana as well as Florida and Georgia.; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Cuba; La., Fla.”}

 

Ecthodopa Loew 1866 [STENOPOGONINAE: ECHTHODOPINI]

 

pubera Loew 1866 {Crevecoeur, 1905: “Occurs from the last of May to the last of August along the larger streams among the weeds in the timber.”; Back, 1909: "Habitat.-Nebr. (type); Lincoln, West Point, Harlan, and Sioux Counties, Neb. (P.R. Jones); Wyo.; Mont.; S.D.; Pullman, Wash."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr.; Wash. to S. Dak., s. to Wyo. and Nebr.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Nebr.; Wash., Idaho, Wyo., S.Dak. to Mich., s. to Tex."}

 

Efferia Coquillett 1893 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

aestuans (Linnaeus) 1763 {Snow, 1903, as Erax aestuans: “Morton and Riley counties.”; Tucker, 1907, as Erax bastardii: “Kansas, Douglas county; July”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...entire e. N. Amer. to Wyo. and Tex.”; Wilcox, 1966: "James (1941) records this species from Colorado. Specimens on hand from...Kansas...Missouri... Oklahoma..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Wyo. to Ont. and N.H., s. to N. Mex. and Fla.”}

 

albibarbis (Macquart) 1838 {Williston, 1885, as Erax furax," Western Kansas"; Snow, 1903, as Erax cinerascens Bell.: “Douglas, Hamilton, Morton, Wallace, Finney and Clark counties.”, as Erax tricolor Bell.: “Finney and Wallace counties.”; Hine, 1919, as Erax barbatus: “This species is the most widely distributed of any of the genus. It ranges from Guatemala and Lower California to Washington and New England and often is the first of the genus taken in any locality within its ranges.”; Hunter, 1899 (as Erax cinerascens Bellardi) is cited by Greathead, 1963 (p. 480, Section IX, Catalogue I, entry number 52) as a reference for adults of this species having been observed preying on grasshoppers in Kansas ;Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...U.S., coast to coast, s. to Guatemala.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “...entire U.S. and Mexico, s. to Costa Rica...furax...Calif., Kans., Ariz...”}

 

anomala Bellardi 1861  {Hine, 1919, as Erax anomalus: "Range: Kansas to Texas and Mexico and westwards."; [Martin and Wilcox, 1965, noted that Erax anomalus Bellardi was “Not Nearctic”, and  synonymized  anomalus with anacapai.  However, Wilcox, 1966, listed anacapai as occurring only in  California, provided a key for distinguishing it from other species of the anomala group, and reestablished anomala as a valid species under Efferia.  Wilcox states: “…Hine (1919) [and others] report E. anomala from Arizona and other localities in the southwest and it is retained here because it is a well-defined species and no difference between it and the Mexican type has been published”]}

 

argentifrons (Hine) 1911 {Hine, 1919, as Erax argentifrons: "Species of both sexes taken in Clark County, Kansas by F.H. Snow."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”; Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Gove County, 2,813 feet (F.X. Williams); Jewell County, 8 July 1915 (R.H. Beamer); Osborne County, 1,557 feet, 7 August 1912 (F.X. Williams); Rawlins County, 4 July 1925 (R.H. Beamer); Russell County, 1,830 feet, 20 July 1912 (F.X. Williams); Saline County, 14 July 1923 (R.H. Beamer, C.H. Martin); Scott County, 17-19 June 1925 (R.H. Beamer, Howard Deay). Oklahoma: Kenton, 21-27 June 1923 (A.E. Pritchard)."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Kans.; N. Mex., Tex., Okla.”}

 

argyrosoma (Hine) 1911 {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Scott County, 17 June 1925 (R.H. Beamer)."}

 

aurimystacea (Hine) 1911 {Hine, 1919, as Erax aurimystaceus: "Holotype: Male from Clark County, Kansas, F.H. Snow. Several males and females from Clark, Ellis, Grove [sic, should be Gove] and Ness Counties, Kansas, mostly taken in July."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”; Wilcox, 1966: "Types, male and female. Clark County, Kansas (F.H. Snow) OSU; also Ellis, Grove [sic] and Ness counties, Kansas, mostly taken in July...Specimens from...Kansas: Cheyenne County, 3 July 1925 (Howard Deay); Kiowa County, 4 July 1923 (W.B. Whitlow); Norton County, 5 July 1925 (R.H. Beamer, N.J. Grady)."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Kans.; Tex.”}

 

candida (Coquillett) 1893 {Hine, 1919, as Erax candidus: "Range: Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and California."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Calif.; Ariz., N. Mex., Kans.”}

 

helenae (Bromley) 1951 {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Scott City, 1 October 1935..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Alta. to Man., s. to Ariz. and Tex., MEX”}

 

kansensis (Hine) 1919 {Hine, 1919, as Erax kansensis: "Type: Male and allotype, from Clark County, Kansas, elevation 1962 feet. F.H. Snow."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”; Wilcox, 1966: "Types, male and female. Clark County, Kansas, 1962'; (F.H. Snow), OSU...James (1941) reports the following from Kansas: Coolidge, July 31, 1933 (Rodeck and James), less than one mile from the Colorado line. Specimens are known from...Kansas: Ellsworth County, 13 July 1923 (R.H. Beamer); Wichita, 3 July 1949 (B.L. and J.G. Rozen). Oklahoma: Beaver County, 28 July 1933 (A.E. Pritchard); Alfalfa County, 11 August 1932 (A.E. Pritchard)..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Kans.; Okla., Tex.”}

 

leucocoma (Williston) 1885 {Williston, 1885, as Erax leucocomus: "Western Kansas"; Snow, 1903, as Erax leucocomus: “Wallace county.”;  Hine, 1919, as Erax leucocomus: "Ten specimens from Western Kansas collected by F.X. Williams."; Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Barber County, 4 July, 1925 (H.J. Grady); Kiowa County, 5 July 1933 (R.H. Beamer); Logan County, 22 June 1925 (R.H. Beamer); Rawlins County, 4 July 1925 (H.J. Grady); Scott County, 18 to 25 June (R.H. Beamer, Howard Deay, H.J. Grady); prey cicada. Oklahoma: Cimarron County, 3 July 1933 (A.E. Pritchard)..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Tex.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Kans.; Okla., Tex., Colo.”}

 

luna Wilcox 1966 {Wilcox, 1966: "Paratypes...Kansas: 1 [male], Stanton County, 3,000 feet, 30 July 1911 (F.X. Williams), JW."; Fisher and Wilcox: “N, Mex,; Kans., Tex.”}

 

nemoralis (Hine) 1911 {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Baldwin, 4 July 1906 (J.C. Bridwell); Douglas County, 12 June 1923 (C.O. Bare); Johnson County, 1931 (R.H. Beamer); Lyon County, 14,15 June 1923 (C.O. Bare, W.J. Brown); Sedgwick County, 1,291 feet, 1916 (R.H. Beamer). Oklahoma: Craig County, 18 June 1931 (Maxwell and Lassiter); McCurtain County, 9 June 1931 (C.C. Deonier)... Females from Kansas and Oklahoma have the ovipositor 4.4 mm long, while those from Texas are 6.3 mm long."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “...Kans. s. to Tex. and La., Ohio, Va., N.C., Ga.”}

 

pallidula (Hine) 1911 {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Cheyenne County, 1 July, 1925 (H.J. Grady); Gove County, 2,813 feet (F.X. Williams); Marion County, 23 June 1923 (W.J. Brown)."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “N. Mex.; Wyo. and Nebr., s. to N. Mex. and Tex.”}

 

plena (Hine) 1916 {Hine, 1919, as Erax plenus: "Several specimens of each sex from Douglas County, Kansas, 900 feet elevation (F.H. Snow). From Onaga, Kansas [Pottawatomie County], and from Osborne County, Kansas, 1557 feet elevation, collected August 3, 1912, (F.X. Williams).  Ardmore, Indian Territory, (C.R. Jones); Plano, Texas...Waco, Texas...and other localities in Texas."; Wilcox, 1966: "Types male and female, Douglas County, Kansas, 900 feet (F.H. Snow), OSU. Also, Onaga, Kansas, August 20, 1901 and Osborne County, Kansas, 1,557 feet, August 3, 1912 (F.X. Williams)."}

 

pogonias (Weidemann) 1821 {Hine, 1919, as Erax rufibarbis: “This species has a wide range in Eastern North America...specimens are at hand from as far west as the Dakotas and central Texas.”; Smith et al, 1962, as Efferia barbatus: “One of the smaller gray and black stout-bodied species of robber fly in Kansas...”;Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas..."; [Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...s. U.S. e. of Rocky Mts.”, and Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Minn. to Maine, s. to Tex. and Fla.” both list a number of other synonyms for this species. ]}

 

prairiensis (Bromley) 1934 {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Kansas: Cherokee County, 888 feet, 1915 (R.H. Beamer); Osage County, 888 feet, 1915, 16 June, 1933 (R.H. Beamer). Oklahoma: Quinton, 12 June 1934 (A.E. Pritchard); Tuskahoma, 14 June 1934 (A.E. Pritchard)."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Tex.; Okla., Kans.”}

 

rapax (Osten Sacken) 1887  {Crevecoeur, 1905: “A rather uncommon species; taken on the prairie in September.  I have a pair taken in copula, and find the sexes differ considerably.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mexico; Ariz., N. Mex.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ariz. [as n. Sonora]; Utah, Colo., N. Mex., Tex.”}

 

snowi (Hine) 1919 {Hine, 1919, as Erax snowi: "Type: Male and allotype from Clark County, Kansas, 1962 feet elevation, taken in May by F.H. Snow, for whom the species is named...More than fifty other specimens from Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Colo., N. Mex., Tex.”; Wilcox, 1966: "...Type male and female, Clark County, Kansas, 1,962 feet, May (F.H. Snow), OSU. More than 50 other specimens from Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas."}

 

staminea  (Williston) 1885    {Snow, 1903, as Erax stamineus: “Clark county.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mont.; Wyo.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Mont.; B.C., Wyo., Utah, Colo.”}

 

texana (Banks in Hine) 1919  {Wilcox, 1966: "Specimens are known from...Oklahoma: Murray County, 22 August 1933 (A.E. Pritchard); Wichita National Forest, 27 June 1936 (M.B. Jackson)."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Tex.; Kans., Okla., N. Mex., N. Leon., Tam.”}

 

varipes (Williston) 1885 (Snow, 1903 as Erax varipes: “Hamilton, Morton and Wallace counties.”;  Hine, 1919, as Erax varipes: "Specimens from Western Kansas and from Arizona."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Ariz.; N. Mex., Kans.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ariz., Kans.; Colo., N. Mex., Tex.”}

 

Heteropogon Loew 1847 [STENOPOGONINAE: CYRTOPOGONINI]

 

phoenicurus Loew 1872 {Tucker, 1907: “Kansas, Douglas county; August”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965, and Fisher and Wilcox, 1997, both list only “Tex.” Tucker’s specimens should probably be reviewed.}

 

Hodophylax James 1933 [DASYPOGONINAE: ISOPOGONINI]

 

aridus James 1933 {James, 1934: "Allotype, male, Boone, Colo., 5000 ft., Aug. 17, 1928 (R.H. Painter).  Also described from...one male and one female, Hamilton County, Kansas, 4000 ft., Aug. 6, 1928 (Painter)"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Colo.; Ariz., N. Mex., Tex., Kans.”}

 

Holcocephala Jaennicke 1867 [TRIGONOMIMINAE]

 

abdominalis (Say) 1823 {Crevecoeur, 1905: “Abundant along sloughs, where it frequents flowers growing in such situations.  June to July.”; Back, 1909: "Habitat:- ...Nebr. (P.R. Jones);...Tex.; Ks....";  Martin, 1965: “In the United States abdominalis ranges from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast.”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “U.S. e. of Rocky Mts.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “...Nebr. to Ont. and N.H., s. to Tex. and Fla...”}

 

calva (Loew) 1872  {Martin, 1965: “...collected in the United States in an area bounded by Texas, Kansas, Ohio, New York, and south into Florida.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.; Kans. to N.Y., s. to Tex. and Fla.”}

 

Holopogon Loew 1847 [STENOPOGONINAE: CYRTOPOGONINI]

 

snowi Back 1909 (Back, 1909: "Habitat:- Type Locality, Clark Co., Ks., (May), elev. 1692 ft., F.H. Snow ."; Martin, 1951: “Lectotype, female, Clark Co. Ks., May, 1692 ft.  F.H. Snow…Allotype, male, Clark Co. Ks., May, 1692 ft., F.H. Snow.  These types are in the Snow Entomological Collection.”;  Martin, 1959b:  “Type locality Clark County, Kansas, 1692 ft., May 1892, (F.H. Snow).  Oklahoma: Seiling, June 2, 19349 (Kaiser-Nailon).”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Okla., Tex.”}

 

Lampria Macquart 1838 (Brychomyia) Hull 1962 [LAPHRIINAE:LAPHRIINI]

 

bicolor (Weidemann) 1828  {Martin, 1965: “...ranges from Kansas to Connecticut and southward to Texas and Florida.”}

 

rubiventris Macquart) 1834 {Snow, 1903: “Wallace county.”; Tucker, 1907: “Kansas, Sedgwick county; August”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Wyo. to Ill., s. to Colo. and Tex.”}

 

Laphria Meigen 1800 [LAPHRIINAE: LAPHRIINI]

 

canis Williston 1883  {Snow, 1903: “Douglas county.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Conn.; Ohio, Pa., N.Y., Md., Va.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ont. And Minn. To Que. And Maine, s. to Ill., Tenn., and Fla.” [This specimen, from the Snow Museum in Lawrence, is one that should be verified, as the occurrence is far east of the current known ranges.]}

 

grossa (Fabricius) 1775  {Howard, 1900, 1901 [vide Lavigne, 1999, personal communication] as Dasyllis tergissa; Snow, 1903, as Dasyllis tergissa: “Douglas county.”}

 

lata Macquart 1850  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Tex.; Kans. to Ill., s. to Tex. and Miss., Fla.”}

 

sicula McAtee 1919  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Md.; Ont. and Que., s. to Ill., Tenn. and Fla., Kans., Okla.”}

 

thoracica Fabricius 1805  {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “N. Amer.; e. of the Rocky Mts.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Minn. to Que. and Maine, s. to Miss. and Fla., Kans.”}

 

vorax (Bromley) 1929 {Smith et al, 1962: “The smaller of several species of black and yellow, hairy robber flies which resemble bumblebees.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Nebr.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Kans.; Nebr., Iowa, Okla.”}

 

Laphystia Loew 1847 [LAPHISTINAE]

 

canadensis Curran 1927 {Wilcox, 1960: "species have been identified from the following localities: IOWA, Sioux City...KANSAS, Atchison Co., VII-11 and 14 '24...Doniphan Co., VII-22 '24...and VII-22 '19...NEBRASKA, Lincoln...SOUTH DAKOTA, Elk Point..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mont. and Man. to Iowa, s. to Wyo. and Kans.”}

 

flavipes Coquillett 1904 {Wilcox, 1960: "...has been examined from the following localities: KANSAS: Clark Co., May 1962 ft. F.H. Snow...NEBRASKA: Neligh, VI-19 '09..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mont. and Man., s. to Colo. and N.C.”}

 

notata (Bigot) 1878 {Curran, 1931: "...Galveston, Texas and...Lawrence, Kansas."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Kans., Miss.”}

 

sexfasciata (Say) 1823 {Snow, 1903: “Douglas and Clark counties.”; Wilcox, 1960: "Neotype: male, Lincoln, Nebr...Other specimens seen are as follows: KANSAS: Clark Co., 1962 ft. May and June (F.H. Snow). NEBRASKA: Lincoln..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mo.; Nebr., Kans.”}

 

snowi Wilcox 1960 {Wilcox, 1960: "Holotype: Male, Clark Co., Kans. June, 1962 ft (F.H. Snow, in the Snow Collection, University of Kansas.  Allotype: Female, same date, May, in the Snow Collection..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”}

 

varipes Curran 1931 {Curran, 1931: "Types.-Holotype,...Cherokee, Oklahoma, Salt Plains, June 16, 1930..."; Wilcox, 1960: "Holotype male and allotype female, Cherokee, Okla., Salt Plains...Specimens have been seen from the following localities: KANSAS: Clark Co., 1962 ft., June (F.H. Snow); Nickerson, VI-25 '36 (J.D. Beamer). NEW MEXICO...OKLAHOMA...TEXAS"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Okla.; N, Mex., Tex., Kans.”}

 

Leptogaster Meigen 1803 [LEPTOGASTRINAE]

 

brevicornis Loew 1872  {Martin, 1957: “Kansas: Reno Co., June 17, 1941 (R.H. Beamer).”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.; Kans. to Md., s. to Tex. and Fla.”}

 

coloradensis James 1937  {Martin, 1957: “Kansas: Ellis Co., June 29, 1950 (R.H. Painter); Sheridan Co., June 9, 1950 (R.H. Painter).”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Colo.; S. Dak., Nebr., Kans.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Colo.; Alta., Mont., S. Dak., Nebr., Kans.”}

 

flavipes Loew 1862 {Back, 1909: "Habitat.-...Neb. (type);...Champaign Co., Ill."; Martin, 1957: “Kansas: Wichita, June 20, 1946 (R.H. Beamer).”; Martin, 1965: “Leptogaster flavipes Loew and L. incisuralis Loew occupy  almost the same area, ranging from Maine to Minnesota and southward to Kansas and North Carolina.”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr.; Minn. to Maine, s. to Kans. and Ga.”}

 

incisuralis Loew 1862  {Martin, 1957: “Kansas: Wichita, June 20, 1946 (R.H. Beamer).”;  Martin, 1965: “Leptogaster flavipes Loew and L. incisuralis Loew occupy  almost the same area, ranging from Maine to Minnesota and southward to Kansas and North Carolina.”}

 

murina Loew 1862 {Back, 1909, as Leptogaster murinus: "Habitat.-Nebraska (type)' Springview Bridge, Brown Co., Nebr. (June 10, 1902); Chicago, Ill..."; Martin, 1957, as L. murinus: “Kansas: Ellis Co., June 9, 1950 (R.H. Painter); Emporia [Lyon Co.], June 18, 1941; Larned, June 14, 1939 (Michener, Beamer);  Manhattan June 14, 1936 (R.H. Painter); Reno Co., June 17, 1941 (R.H. Painter); Sheridan Co., June 9, 1950 (R.H. Painter).”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr.; S. Dak. to Mich., s. to Tex. and Ark.”; Cole, 1969: "Martin [1957] did not record murinus Loew from west of Kansas and South Dakota."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Nebr.; S. Dak. to Mich. and Ohio, s. to Tex. and Ark."}

 

panda Martin 1957   {Kansas is type locality;  Martin, 1957: “HOLOTYPE: Male…Emporia, Kansas, June 18, 1941 (R.H. Beamer), in the collection of the University of Kansas.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.”}

 

Machimus Loew 1849 [ASILINAE: ASILINI]

 

antimachus (Walker) 1849 {Hine, 1909, as Asilus antimachus: "Common in...Ohio in late summer. Specimens also from...Kansas,...Missouri."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Tolmerus antimachus: “N.Y.; Kans., Mo., Ind., Ohio, Va.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans. to N.Y., s. to Tenn. and Ga.}

 

delusus (Tucker) 1907 {Crevecoeur, 1905, as Tolmerus annulipes Macq.: “…taken in heavy timber early in July.”; Tucker, 1907 as Tolmerus annulipes Macq., new variety, delusus: "Kansas, Douglas County; June...Colorado, Colorado Springs; August...Types in the collection of the University of Kansas."; Hine, 1909: "Specimens from Kansas and Montana, those from Kansas being the types... described as a variety of annulipes Macquart by Tucker whose identification of annulipes conforms to specimens called snowii in this paper, as I have determined by a study of the specimens used by Tucker. I agree that delusus is related to snowii  but has a distinct general color over the entire body, the posterior side of each femur red and the third antennal segment shorter than in that species with the arista two thirds as long as the segment which bears it."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Tolmerus delusus: “Kans., Colo.; Mont.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans., Colo.; Alta., Mont., Idaho, Wyo., Utah, Ariz."}

 

erythocnemius (Hine) 1909 {Hine, 1909, as Asilus erythocnemius: "Specimens from...Kans.,...Colo.,..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "...Kans.,...Colo.,...B.C. to Que., s. to Oreg., N. Mex. and Fla. N. comb."}

 

formosus (Hine) 1918 {Hine, 1918b; Cole, 1969, states "described from Kansas specimens"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Asilus formosus: “Kans.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.; Alta., Mont., s. to Calif. and N. Mex. N.comb."}

 

notatus (Wiedemann) 1848 [Hine, 1909 as Asilus notatus: "...Mo., Kan..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Tolmerus notatus: “Kans. to Maine, s. to D.C...”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans. to Mich. and Maine, s. to Tex. and Fla. N.comb."]

 

prairiensis (Tucker) 1907 {Tucker, 1907, as Tolmerus prairiensis: "...new species. Kansas, Sedgwick county; August, collected on prairie. Type: One female specimen in the collection of the University of Kansas..." ; Hine, 1909: "Specimens are at hand from Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas...Macquart's description of annulipes from Carolina does not apply well to any of the robber flies known to me...but does apply to the present species. There is an older Asilus annulipes by Brulle from Europe, so the name is not tenable for the American insect...the conclusion is reached that Tolmerus prairiensis Tucker is the same and being the name next available becomes the name of the species."; Smith, et al, 1962 as T. prairiensis: " This common prairie species occurs in late summer and fall..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as T. prairiensis: “Kans.; Colo., N.Mex., Tex.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.; Colo., N. Mex., Tex., Ohio."}

 

snowii (Hine) 1909 {Williston, 1893 as Asilus annulatus: “New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Connecticut, South Dakota, and Kansas.” ; Hine, 1909, as Asilus snowii: " New name for Asilus annulatus Williston, which is preoccupied by A. annulatus Fabricius...Specimens are at hand from...Mo.,...Kans...."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Tolmerus snowii: “S. Dak., Kans., N.H., Mass., Conn.; e. N. Amer.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "S. Dak., Kans...Ont. to N.S., s. to Okla. and Fla."}

 

Mallophora Macquart 1834 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

orcina (Wiedemann) 1828   {Cole and Pritchard, 1964: "Specimens examined...KANSAS: Reno Co., Aug. 31 (Beamer, K.U.); Barber Co. (Beamer, K.U.)...MISSOURI: Ozark Lake, Sept. 18...Colorado, July 31,..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Ga.; Ind. to Md., s. to Ala. and Fla., Ariz., Tex., Okla."}

 

Megaphorus Bigot 1857 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

acrus (Curran) 1931  {Curran, 1931, as Mallophora acra: "Holotype, male, allotype, female, and one male and seven female paratypes, Woods Co., Okla., July 8, 1930, and one female, Major Co., Okla., June 27, 1930 (R.D. Bird)"; Cole and Pritchard, 1964, as Mallophorina acra: "...Specimens examined.-OKLAHOMA: Cherokee Co., Aug. 26...Luget, June 11...Harker Co., July 23...Payne Co., June 5...Woodward Co., Aug. 23...In Pritchard collection...from the following places in Oklahoma: Grant, Aug. 12-24; Alva, Aug.4; Beaver, July 25-Aug.1; Optima, July 6-9; Millerton, July 13-31; Byron, Aug. 11-14; Ripley, June 23; "; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Mallophorina acra: “Okla.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Okla.; Kans., N.Mex., Tex., MEX"}

 

guildiana (Williston) 1885 {Williston, 1885, as Mallophora guildiana, lists " Western Kansas"; Cole and Pritchard, 1964: "Specimens examined.- OKLAHOMA: Kenton, July 3-7...KANSAS: Douglas Co. (Snow, K.U.); Phillips Co., July 8, (Grady, Wilcox)"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965 as Mallophorina guildiana: “Kans.; Mont., N.C.”}

 

Microstylum Macquart 1838 [STENOPOGONINAE: ENIGMOMORPHINI]

 

galactodes Loew 1866 {Snow, 1903, as M. guenelodes [sic – apparently a typographical error] Loew: “Finney county.”; Back, 1909: "Habitat.-Pecos River, Texas; Kansas; N.M."; Hine, 1918a: "...it has been taken in several places in Kansas..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “N. Mex.; Ariz., Kans., Tex.”; Beckemeyer and Charlton, 2000: Commanche, Finney, Grant, Hamilton, Kiowa, Meade, Morton, Seward, and Stanton counties.}

 

morosum Loew 1872 {Smith et al, 1962: "...the largest and least common species mentioned here..."; Beckemeyer and Charlton, 2000: Barber, Chautauqua, Commanche, Cowley, Geary, Meade, Montgomery, Riley and Sumner counties.}

 

Ommatius Wiedemann 1821 [ASILINAE: OMMATIINI]  

 

gemma Brimley 1928  {Bullington and Lavigne, 1984: "Specimens examined...KANSAS, Riley...OKLAHOMA, Choctaw..."}

 

oklahomensis Bullington and Lavigne 1984   {Bullington and Lavigne, 1984: "Male Holotype. KANSAS, Montgomery Co., 26-VI-1926, R.H. Beamer, Ommatius tibialis Say, det. J. Wilcox 1935...Female Allotype. KANSAS, Saline Co., 7-VI-33, C. W. Sabrosky (USNM).  Specimens for Fig. 6. Male. MISSOURI, Henry Co., 7 mi. East Clinton, 28-IV-1973, C.H. Nelson...Female. OKLAHOMA (Alfalfa Co.), Cherokee, 4-VII-1934, A.E. Pritchard...Paratypes. 10 males, 6 females from the following states and counties: KANSAS, Cowley, Lyon, Montgomery, Reno, Saline, Shawnee, MISSOURI, Henry, OKLAHOMA, Alfalfa, Craig, Delaware, LeFlore, Marshall, Pittsburg.”}

 

ouchitensis Bullington and Lavigne 1984   {Bullington and Lavigne, 1984: "Male Holotype, OKLAHOMA (Pushmataha Co.)...Female Allotype, OKLAHOMA (McCurtain Co.)...Specimens for Fig. 5. Male. KANSAS (Douglas Co.), Lawrence...Spermacecae. OKLAHOMA (Choctaw Co.)...Paratypes...KANSAS, Atchison, Cowley, Douglas, Labette...MISSOURI, Boone, Jackson...OKLAHOMA, Choctaw, Delaware, LeFlore, McCurtain, Nowata, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha; TEXAS..."}

 

Ospriocerus Loew 1866 [STENPOGONINAE: STENOPOGONINI]

 

abdominalis (Wiedemann) 1828 {Snow, 1903, as O. aeacus Wied.: “Hamilton, Morton, Logan and Clark counties.”, and as O. aeacides Loew: “Hamilton and Morton counties.”; Back, 1909,: "Habitat.-:Sioux Co. (P.R. Jones), Nebr.; Ft. Collins (July 17, 29), Colorado Springs and Spanish Peaks, Col.; Garden City, Ks. (July); N.M.; Road Mts., Tex."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Wash. to Nebr., s. to Calif. and Tex.”}

 

aeacidinus (Williston) 1886 {Snow, 1903, as Stenopogon: “Hamilton, Morton, Wallace and Clark counties.”; Back, 1909, as Stenopogon: Garden City, Kansas"; Martin, 1968: "Distribution...Kansas (Type locality); Montana; Nebraska; Texas"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Mont., Colo., Nebr., Tex. N. comb.”}

 

latipennis (Loew) 1866 {Snow, 1903, as Stenopogon consanguineus Loew: “Hamilton, Morton and Clark counties.”; Martin, 1968: "At hand are 42 specimens of Stenopogon latipennis Loew and Stenopogon consanguineus Loew from Alberta, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming...DISTRIBUTION...UNITED STATES:...Colorado; Kansas...Nebraska..." }

 

pumilis (Coquillett) 1904 {Back;, 1909, as Stenopogon pumilis: "Habitat.-Brownsville, Tex. (Apr. and May, type); Clark Co., Ks. (June, elev 1962 ft., F.H. Snow"; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Stenopogon pumilis: “Tex.; Kans.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Tex.; Kans., Okla.  N.comb.”}

 

rhadamanthus Loew 1866 {Crevecoeur, 1905 as O. eutrophus, Pottawatomie County: “This rare and pretty species I have taken in rank grass on the prairie in July.”; Back, 1909, as O. eutrophus: "Habitat.-Texas; Kansas";  Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as O. eutrophus: “Tex.; Kans.”, as O. rhadamanthus: “N. Mex.; Kans., Tex.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "N. Mex.; Kans., Tex., N. Leon."}

 

Philonicus Loew 1849 [ASILINAE: ASILINI]

 

rufipennis Hine 1907 {Tucker, 1909a,b: “Kansas, Lawrence; May and June (cotypes).  Additions to the Kansas list.”;  Hine, 1909: "Specimens from Douglas County, Kansas, taken in May and June by E.S. Tucker."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Ariz., N. Mex., Okla., Ill.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Kans.; Okla., Iowa, Ill."}

 

 

Proctacanthella Bromley 1934 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

cacopiloga (Hine) 1909 {Snow, 1903, as Rhadiurgus cirro-plaque [sic – apparently a typographic error] Will. [sic]: “Finney and Morton counties.”;  Hine, 1909, as Asilus cacopilogus: "Specimens from Rosser, Texas, taken by F.C. Pratt; Clark County, Kansas, by F.H. Snow...Ardmore, Oklahoma; Fremont, Nebraska, and from other places in Texas..."; Smith, et al, 1962: “One of the most common, in Kansas, of the medium-sized, gray, robber flies with a pointed abdomen...about 5/8 inch in length and is dull yellowish-gray without any distinctive markings...occurs along dusty paths or roads and on bare spaces in pastures."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.; Nebr., Kans., Okla., Ill., N.J.”}

 

leucopogon (Williston) 1893  {Williston, 1893, as Asilus (Rhadiurgus) leucopogon: “South Dakota and Nebraska.”;  Hine, 1909, as Asilus leucopogon: "Specimens are on hand from Pierre, South Dakota; from Morton County, Kansas, and Bill Williams Fork, Arizona, collected by F.H. Snow.";  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “S. Dak.; Ariz., Kans., Nebr.”}

 

Proctacanthus Macquart 1838 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

brevipennis (Wiedeman) 1828 {Hine, 1911: "Specimens at hand from...Kansas..."; Smith et al, 1962; Lavigne et al, 1984, listing prey records: “Coleoptera: Scarabeidae; Kansas...Orthoptera: Acrididae; Kansas...”}

 

duryi Hine 1911  {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Ohio; Kans., Ky.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ohio; w. to Kans., s. to Tex. and Tenn.”}

 

hinei Bromley 1928 {Smith et al, 1962: “These flies are often found in sand dune regions along the Arkansas river.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ont. to Mass., s. to Tex. and N.C...”}

 

micans Schiner 1867  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Wyo. and Kans., s. to Ariz. and Tex., Chih., Coah., Dur., Zac., S.L.P., Aguas., Jal., Puebla”}

 

milbertii Macquart 1838 {Williston, 1885, lists "Mo., Kans.  A very common species on the Kansas plains in July and August."; Snow, 1903: “Douglas, Wallace, Logan and Clark counties.”;  Tucker, 1907: "Kansas, Douglas County; August,-Colorado, Colorado Springs; August."; Hine, 1911: “Specimens from...Kansas, Missouri...Colorado...";  Bromley, 1949 [vide Lavigne, 1999, personal communication],  Smith et al, 1962; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “U. S., coast to coast”; Willis, 1967 (p. 207): “I have twice caught asilids eating CicindelaProctacanthus milberti [sic] with a C. Formosa.”;  Lavigne et al, 1984, listing prey records: “Diptera:...Scleropogon sp., Kansas: 2800’; VII-27-11...F. X. Willams, coll...Hymenoptera:...Melissodes obliqua (Say), Kansas: Scott Co., 2970’...F. X. Williams, coll...Lepidoptera:...Vanessa cardui (L.), Kansas: Clark Co., 1950’; VIII-20-11...F. X. Williams, coll...Homoptera: Cicadidae; Kansas...Orthoptera: Acrididae...Kansas...Nebraska...”}

 

nearno Martin 1962  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ariz.; Calif. to Kans., s. to B.Cal.S. and Coah., Oreg., Idaho, Dur., S.L.P., Zac.”}

 

rodecki James 1933 {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Colo.; Kans.”;  Cole, 1969, "Kansas"; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Colo.; N.Dak., s. to N. Mex., :Okla. and Tex.”; Lavigne et al, 1984, listing prey records: “Coleoptera:...Cicindela sp., Kansas: Reno Co., Medora Sand Dunes; VII-3-?...R. H. Painter, coll...Coleoptera: Scarabeidae; Oklahoma...Orthoptera: Acrididae; Nebraska...New Mexico...”}

 

rufus Williston 1885 {Fackler, 1918 is reported in Willis, 1967 (p.206), as having seen “…a Proctacanthus (near rufus) catch a…[Cicindela]…repanda, inserting the proboscis between the elytra to feed…”; Evans and Yoshimoto, 1962 (p. 74): “At Blackjack Creek, Pottawatomie Co., Kansas, we took a female [Anoplis] marginalis in the clutches of the asilid fly Proctacanthus rufus Will.”;  Fisher and  Wilcox, 1997: “N.C., Mass.; Iowa to Ohio and Maine, s. to Tex. and Fla.”}

 

Promachus Loew 1848 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

albifacies Williston, 1885  {Snow, 1903: “Hamilton and Morton counties.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Ariz.; Calif., Colo., N. Mex..”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ariz.; Wyo. To Calif. And Tex.”}

 

bastardii (Macquart) 1838  {Snow, 1903: “Douglas county.”;  Hine, 1911: “Specimens have been taken in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, Georgia and Ohio.”, Bromley, 1950, Cole and Pritchard, 1964 (vide Baker and Fisher, 1975: “...from Massachusetts to Kansas and south to Texas and Florida...”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans. to Mass., s. to Tex. and Ga.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Mo., Ill., Mich., n. to Ont. and Maine, s. to Tex. and Fla., ?Kans.”}

 

dimidiatus Curran 1927  (Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Man.; Alta. and Man., s. to ;Utah, N. Mex. and Kans., Wisc.”}

 

fitchii Osten Sacken 1878 {Williston, 1885, "Kansas";  Snow, 1903: “Hamilton, Morton and Clark counties.”;  Hine, 1911: "Numerous specimens from Clay County, Kansas, collected by Prof. J.H. Schaffer.  Aldrich catalogues it from Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas..."; Smith et al, 1962: “One of the larger brown and yellow, slender-bodied species of prairie robber flies which feed rather extensively on honeybees.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr.; Kans., Mo., Tex., Conn., Fla.”}

 

hinei Bromley, 1931  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Ohio; Kans. to Ohio, s. to Tex. and Miss.”}

 

oklahomensis Pritchard 1935  {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Okla.; Nebr., Kans., Ind.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Okla.; Colo., Nebr., Kans., Ind.”}

 

vertebratus (Say) 1823 {Williston, 1885: “Seven specimens from Kansas I refer to this species; they resemble P. rufipes very much.”; Snow, 1903: “Douglas, Sedgwick and Wallace counties.”;  Tucker, 1907: “Kansas,  Sedgwick county; August”; Hine, 1911: "Specimens from Kansas..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mo.; Colo., Kans., Wis., Ill., Ohio”}

 

Psilocurus Loew 1874 [LAPHYSTIINAE]

 

modestus (Williston) 1893  (Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “S. Dak.; Kans., Tex.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “S. Dak.; Kans., N. Mex., Tex.”}

 

Sarapogon Loew 1847 [DASYPOGONINAE: DASYPOGONINI]

 

combustus Loew 1874 {Williston, 1883, lists three specimens as S. combustus, three as S. adjustus: "Western Kansas";  Snow, 1903, as S. adjustus: “Hamilton, Morton and Wallace counties.”, as S. combustus: “Hamilton, Morton, Wallace, Clark and Finney counties.”;  Back, 1909: "Habitat:- ...Tex.; Wallace, Gove, and Hamilton Counties, (F.H. Snow, July, 3,000 ft.), Ks.; Ft. Collins (July 11), Col."; Curran, 1931: "...Woods Co., Okl., July 16, collected by Mr. R.D. Bird."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.; Colo., Nebr., Kans., Okla.”}

 

Scleropogon Loew 1866 [STENOPOGONINAE: STENOPOGONINI]

 

helvolus Loew 1874 {Back, 1909, as Stenopogon (Scleropogon) helvolvus: "Habitat.-Texas (type), Dallas, Tex.; Segwick [sic] Co., Ks. (Aug., E.S. Tucker); Glen, Sioux Co., Nebr. (P.R. Jones)."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Stenopogon helvolvus: “Tex.; Nebr., Kans.”; Wilcox, 1971: "DISTRIBUTION. Colorado (James 1941); Kansas; Nebraska (Jones 1907); Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas; June to September. Most of the specimens examined were from Kansas and Oklahoma..."}

 

picticornis Loew 1866 {Tucker, 1907: “Kansas,  Sedgwick county; August.  New to Kansas” ; Wilcox, 1971: "DISTRIBUTION...Colorado, Kansas...South Dakota, Texas..."}

 

sublatus (Wiedemann) 1828 {Wilcox, 1971: "DISTRIBUTION... Kansas...Oklahoma... and Texas; June to September..."}

 

Stenopogon Loew 1847 [STENOPOGONINAE: STENOPOGONINI]

 

martini Bromley 1937 {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Idaho; Calif., Mont., Colo., Kans.”; Cole, 1969, "Kansas"; Wilcox, 1971: "KANSAS: 1 female, Douglas County, 900 feet altitude (F.H. Snow) feeding on winged ant (Camponotus sp.) OSU."}

 

Stichopogon Loew 1847 [STICHOPOGONINAE]

 

argenteus (Say) 1823 {Hine, 1922, “...Seward Co., Kansas”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Colo. to Pa., s. to Md.” }

 

pritchardi Bromley 1951 {Bromley, 1951, "Holotype, male, Medora, Kansas...Paratypes...Clark County, Kansas..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Kans.; Colo., Okla., Tex.”}

 

trifasciatus (Say) 1823 {Snow, 1903: “Douglas, Hamilton, Morton, Wallace and Clark counties.”; Back, 1909: "Habitat:- Glen, Sioux Co., Neb. (P.R. Jones); Clark Co., Ks., (June, 1962 ft., F.H. Snow)..."; James, 1934, as Neopogon snowii Bezzi, Wallace Co., Kansas; Smith et al, 1962: “This is one of the common, smaller gray and black Kansas species.  It occurs especially on bare, sandy or gravely areas near water and feeds largely on spiders.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Pa.; U.S....Mass....Kans.”}

 

Taracticus Loew 1872 [DASYPOGONINAE: DASYPOGONINI]

 

octopunctatus (Say) 1823 {Snow, 1903: “Douglas county.”; Tucker, 1907: “Kansas, Douglas county; June”;  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “S. Dak. to N. H., s. to Mo. and Fla.”}

 

Tipulogaster Cockerell 1913 [LEPTOGASTRINAE]

 

glabrata (Wiedemann) 1828 {Back, 1909, as Leptogaster badius: "...Douglas Co., Ks.; Neb.;..."; Martin, 1957, as Tipulogaster badius: “Kansas: Douglas Co., Ottawa.”;  Martin, 1965: “from Quebec, Canada to Wisconsin and southward to Kansas and North Carolina.”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr. to Que., s. to Tex. and Fla.”}

 

Triorla Parks 1968 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

interrupta (Macquart) 1834 {Hine, 1919, as Erax interruptus, "It is widely distributed South, reaching from Coast to Coast, from the latitude of Kansas to Guatemala and even further south."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...entire U. S.”; Wilcox, 1966, as Efferia interrupta: "Specimens are known from...Kansas...New Mexico...Texas..."}

 

Zabrops Hull 1957 [LAPHYSTIINAE]

 

flavipilis (Jones) 1907 {Tucker, 1907, as Triclis tagax Will.: "Kansas, Douglas Co.; June."; Back, 1909 notes "Mr. Jones states that the wing venation of this species is identical with that of the figure of T. tagax in [Williston, 1883]..."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Nebr.”; Fisher, 1977: "Specimens Examined (Two males) KANSAS, Riley County: 13 July (Popenoe, EF)..."; Type locality is "Meadow, Nebraska"; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997, list T. tagax tagax only for Baja Cal. and Cal}

 

 

2.  SPECIES THAT MAY OCCUR IN KANSAS:

 

Andrenosoma Rondani 1856 [LAPHRIINAE: ANDRENSOMINI]

 

fulvicaudum (Say) 1823 {Martin, 1965: “...three species...range from coast to coast and in some areas border to border...”; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Mo.; Calif. to Ont., s. to Tex. and Fla...”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Mo.; B.C. to N.B., S. to Calif. and Fla...”}

 

Atomosia Macquart 1838 [LAPHRIINAE: ATOMOSIINI]

 

melanopogon Hermann 1912 {Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Tex.; Ariz., Colo., Iowa.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Tex.; Calif. e. to Miss., S. Dak. s. to Tex., Colo., Iowa, Chih., N. Leon."}

 

Cophura Osten Sacken 1887 [DASYPOGONINAE: ISOPOGONINI]

 

dora Pritchard 1943 {Pritchard, 1943: “Holotype. - Male, Mitchell, Nebraska, July 29, 1912 (L. M. Gates)...”; No specific Kansas record found, but Martin and Wilcox, 1965: "Nebr.; Ariz."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997 list: "Nebr.; Calif. to Utah and Tex."}

 

pollinosa Curran 1930 {No specific Kansas record found, but Martin and Wilcox, 1965, list: "Ariz.; N.Mex., Colo., Okla., Tex."}

 

Diogmites Loew 1866 [DASYPOGONINAE: LASTAURINI]

 

basalis (Walker) 1856 {No specific reference to Kansas specimens is known, but Artigas, 1966 says: "This species is one of the most common in the genus; it is widely distributed throughout the United States, and is very abundant in the northeast." His distribution map shows specimens from the northeast west to Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, then one specimen from Illinois and two specimens from Colorado at roughly the latitude of the Ks.-Neb. border. The species might therefore be found in northern Kansas or in Nebraska.; Martin, 1965 includes a map showing this species as occurring in the northeastern U.S. east as far as Illinois.; Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “...Atlantic States; Ill. to N.H., s. to N.J.”; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “...Ill. to N.H., s. to Tenn. and N.J., Colo.”}

 

Efferia Coquillett 1893 [ASILINAE: APOCLEINI]

 

bicaudata (Hine) 1919 {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Colo.; Alta. s. to N. Mex. and Tex., Utah.”}

 

costalis (Williston) 1885  {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Alta., s. to N. Mex. and Tex., Utah, Ariz.”}

 

tuberculata (Coquillett) 1904  {Known from Cimarron and Texas counties, Oklahoma, and might be found in southwestern Kansas.. See Wilcox, 1966; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Tex.; Ariz., N. Mex., Okla., MEX”}

 

Hadrokolos Martin 1959 [STENOPOGONINAE: CYRTOPOGONINI]

 

pritchardi Martin 1959  {Type locality in the panhandle of Oklahoma (Cimarron County).  Martin, 1959b: “Holotype, male, Kenton, Oklahoma, July 6, 1933 (A.E. Pritchard).”  Might therefore be found in southwestern Kansas.}

 

Machimus Loew 1849 [ASILINAE: ASILINI]

 

paropus (Walker) 1849 {No specific record from Kansas has been found, but Hine, 1909 (as Asilus paropus) lists: "Specimens from N.H., Mass., Colo., N.M., Wyo., Toronto, Can., Ct., N.Y., Ills., Ind. and Ohio."; Martin and Wilcox, 1965, as Tolmerus paropus: “...Wyo. to N.H., s. to N. Mex. and Conn.”;  Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: "Alta. to N.S., s. to Calif., Tex. and Va.}

 

Pogonosoma Rondani 1856 [LAPHRIINAE: ANDRENOSOMINI]

 

ridingsi Cresson 1920   {Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Colo.; B.C. and Alta. to S. Dak., s. to Calif. and Tex., Mich. to Maine.”}

 

Prolepsis Walker 1857 [STENOPOGONINAE: ENIGMOMORPHINI]

 

tristis (Walker) 1851  {Calif. to Mo. and N.C., s. to Tex., Fla., and south. Mexico”}

 

Scleropogon Loew 1866 [STENOPOGONINAE: STENOPOGONINI]

 

coyote (Bromley) 1931 {Wilcox, 1971: "DISTRIBUTION: ...Colorado, Missouri...North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota..."; Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Alta. to N. Dak., s. to Ariz. and Tex.”}

 

indistinctus (Bromley) 1937 {Wilcox, 1971: "Bromley (1937) included paratypes of S. indistinctus from Kenton, Oklahoma. Part of the specimens from the Oklahoma panhandle, Cimarron County (Kenton and other localities) have been identified as S. helvolvus Loew..."}

 

 

3.  SPECIES NAMES THAT HAVE BEEN SYNONYMIZED:

 

 

Asilus annulatus                                  See Machimus snowii

Asilus antimachus                               See Machimus antimachus

Asilus cacopilogus                              See Proctacanthella cacopiloga

Asilus erythocnemius                          See Machimus erythocnemius

Asilus formosus                                    See Machimus formosus

Asilus leucopogon                              See Proctacanthella leucopogon   

Asilus mesae                                         See Dicropaltum mesae

Asilus notatus                                      See Machimus notatus

Asilus paropus                                     See Machimus paropus

Asilus rubicundus                               See Dicropaltum rubicundus

Asilus snowii                                        See Machimus snowii

Dasyllis tergissa                                  See Laphria grossa

Dasypogon barbatus F.                      See Efferia pogonias

Deromyia angustipennis                    See Diogmites angustipennis

Deromyia angustiventris                   See Diogmites misellus

Deromyia miscellus                             See Diomites misellus

Deromyia neoternata                         See Diogmites neoternatus

Deromyia platyptera                          See Diogmites platypterus

Deromyia ternata                                See Diogmites ternatus

Deromyia winthemi                             See Diogmites misellus

Efferia barbatus (F.)                            See Efferia pogonias

Efferia interruptus                               See Triorla interrupta

Erax anomalus                                     See Efferia anomala

Erax argentifrons                                See Efferia argentifrons

Erax aurimystaceus                            See Efferia aurimystaceus

Erax barbatus                                      See Efferia albibarbis

Erax bastardii                                      See Efferia aestuans

Erax candidus                                      See Efferia candida

Erax cinerascens                                 See Efferia albibarbis

Erax aestuans                                      See Efferia aestuans

Erax furax                                             See Efferia albibarbis

Erax interruptus                                  See Triorla interrupta

Erax kansensis                                     See Efferia kansensis

Erax leucocomus                                 See Efferia leucocoma

Erax plenus                                          See Efferia plena

Erax rufibarbis                                    See Efferia pogonias

Erax snowi                                            See Efferia snowi

Erax stamineus                                    See Efferia staminea

Erax tricolor                                        See Efferia albibarbis

Erax varipes                                         See Efferia varipes

Leptogaster badius                             See Tipulogaster glabrata

Leptogaster varipes                            See Beameromyia pictipes

Mallophora acra                                 See Megaphorus acrus

Mallophora guildiana                       See Megaphorus guildiana

Mallophorina acra                             See Megaphorus acrus

Mallophorina guildiana                   See Megaphorus guildiana

Microstylum guenelodes                    See Microstylum galactodes

Neopogon snowii                                See Stichopogon trifasciatus

Ospriocerus aeacides                         See Ospriocerus abdominalis

Ospriocerus eutrophus                       See Ospriocerus rhadamanthus

Sarapogon adjustus                            See Sarapogon combustus

Stenopogon aecidinius                      See Ospriocerus aecidinius

Stenopogon consanguinus                See Ospriocerus latipennis

Stenopogon latipennis                       See Ospriocerus latipennis

Stenopogon helvolvus                        See Scleropogon helvolvus

Stenopogon pumilis                            See Ospriocerus pumilis

Tolmerus antimachus                         See Machimus antimachus

Tolmerus annulipes                            See Machimus delusus

Tolmerus delusus                                 See Machimus delusus

Tolmerus notatus                                 See Machimus notatus

Tolmerus paropus                               See Machimus paropus

Tolmerus snowii                                  See Machimus snowii

 

 

4. SPECIES MISIDENTIFIED IN THE LITERATURE:

 

 

Triclis tagax                                         See Zabrops flavipilis

 

 

5. PROBLEMATIC SPECIES CITATIONS.

 

Deromyia angustiventris Macquart 1849  {Williston, 1883, lists D. angustiventris and Diogmites misellus as synonyms of D. winthemi Wied.   Snow, 1903 lists D. angustiventris for Wallace county.  Hull (1962) states that D. angustiventris is an Australian taxon.  I assume here that the species is actually Diogmites misellus. See the entry in Section 1 for this species.

 

Efferia anomala Bellardi 1861  {See the entry in section 1.  G. Forbes of New Mexico State University, who studies Efferia, advises (personal communication, March, 2000) that “there is little doubt that E. anomala from Mexico is a distinct species from what is found in the SW U.S.”  I have chosen to leave this entry in the list identified as anomala pending publication of a taxonomic revision by one of the students of the genus.}

 

Laphria astur Osten Sacken 1877  {Williston, 1883, says of Dasyllis astur: “Two male and female specimens from Western Kansas…”  The specimen is probably misidentified, as  Martin and Wilcox, 1965, list the species for Calif., Wash. And Oregon, and Fisher and Wilcox, 1997, list it for: “B.C., s. to Calif., Idaho and Nev.”}

 

Ommatius marginellus Fabricius 1781  {Crevecoeur, 1905, Pottawatomie County says “The two specimens I have of this rare species were taken the first week in July, one in the timber and the other on the prairie.”  Hull, 1962, lists this species as Neotropical, and Bullington and Lavigne (1984) state that it is “unknown in the continental United States.”  They also report, however, that in Brimley’s original description of O. gemma he compares it with “marginellus” (actually thought to have actually been tibialis).  The specimen should be reviewed.}

 

Proctacanthus philadelphicus Macquart 1838  {Snow, 1903, lists it for “Hamilton and Morton counties.”  These are in western Kansas.  The species is very much eastern U.S. in its distribution per  Martin and Wilcox, 1965: “Pa.; Conn., Mass., N.J., Md., Va.” and Fisher and Wilcox, 1997: “Pa.; Que. And Maine, s. to Ga.”  Probably misidentified.}

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

The total of 122 species of robber flies recorded here for Kansas compares favorably with the numbers for other states that have been surveyed: Colorado with 150 and Texas with 164.  The 51 species found by Jones in northwest Nebraska in 1907 could probably be increased greatly in number by more extensive collecting and review of museum specimens.  The state of Oklahoma would be expected to have a number of species somewhere between that of Texas and Kansas.  There is obviously a need for continued survey work on Asilidae throughout the central plains.  It is hoped that this list will provide some assistance and motivation for other researchers interested in robber flies in the prairie.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

 

Thanks to Dr. Eric Fisher for sharing a preliminary copy of his Nearctic catalog and for his continued encouragement. Thanks to Dr. Robert Lavigne for sharing his Kansas data, for providing reprints of his publications, references to citations, and for his continuing interest in and contributions to this effort.  His impressive familiarity with the literature on Asilidae added substantially to the completeness of the species list and the list of citations.  Thanks to Greg Forbes for sharing his thoughts on certain aspects of the taxonomy of Efferia.

 

 

LITERATURE CITED

 

 

 

Artigas, J. N.  1966.  The genus Diogmites (Robber flies) in eastern United States.  Ohio J. Sci.  66(4):401-421.

 

Back, E. A. 1909.  The robber-flies of America, north of Mexico, belonging to the subfamilies Leptogastrinae and Dasypogoninae.  Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 35:137-400 + plates II-XII.

 

Baker, N. T. and R. L. Fischer.  1975.  A taxonomic and ecologic study of the Asilidae of Michigan.  Great Lakes Entomol. 8(2):31-91.

 

Beckemeyer, R. J. and R. E. Charlton.  2000.  Distribution of Microstylum morosum and M. galactodes (Diptera: Asilidae): significant extenrange extensions.  Entomol. News.  111(2):84-96.

 

Bromley, S. W.  1934.  The Laphriine robber flies of North America.  PhD Thesis, Ohio State University. 

 

Bromley, S.W.  1934.  The robber flies of Texas.  Ann. Ent. Soc. Am.  27:74-110 + plates I,II.

 

Bromley, S.W.  1935.  Notes on Texas robber flies with the description of a new species of Proctacanthella (Asilidae: Diptera).  Univ. Mich. Occas. Pap. Mus.  Zool.  No. 304:1-7.

 

Bromley, S. W.  1949.  The Missouri bee-killer, Proctacanthus milbertii Macq. (Asilidae: Diptera).  Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc., 44:21-28.

 

Bullington, S. W. and R. J. Lavigne.  1984.  Review of the genus Ommatius Weidemann (Diptera: Asilidae) in eastern United States with descriptions of five new species.  Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 77(4):372-392.

 

Cockerell, T.D.A.  1905.  The Diptera of Kansas and New Mexico.  Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci.  19:250-251.

 

Cole, F.R. 1969.  Asilidae.  pp. 184-217 in The Flies of Western North America  (F. R. Cole).  Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley, California.

 

Crevecoeur, F.F.  1905.  Additions to the list of Kansas Diptera.  Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 20:90-96.

 

Curran, C. H. 1931.  New North American Asilidae (Diptera) II.  Am. Mus. Nov., No. 487:1-25.

 

Evans, H.E. and C. M. Yashimoto.  1962.  The ecology and nesting behavior of the Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) of the northeastern United States.  Misc. Pub. Entomol. Soc. Am. 3:67-119.

 

Fackler, H.L.  1918.  The tiger beetles of Kansas (family Carabidae; subfamily Cicindelinae) order Coleoptera.  M.S. Thesis.  University of Kansas, Lawrence.

 

Fisher, E.M.  1977.  A review of the North American species of Laphystiini, with a review of the genus Zabrops Hull (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae)  Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (4th series).  41(5):182-213.

 

Fisher, E. M.  and J. Wilcox.  1997.  Catalog of the robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of the Nearctic region.  Unpublished July 1997 draft manuscript.

 

Greathead, D.J.  1963.  A review of the insect enemies of Acridoidea (Orthoptera).  Trans. Roy. Entomol. Soc. London  114:437-517.

 

Hine, J. S. 1909.  Robberflies of the genus Asilus.  Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am.  2:136-170 + plates XXII and XXIII.

 

Hine, J. S.  1918a.  Notes on robber flies from southwest Texas, collected by the Bryant Walker Expedition, with a description of a new species of Erax.  Mich. Univ. Mus. Zool. Occas. Pap. 61:1-7.

 

Hine, J.S.  1918b.  Descriptions of seven species of Asilus (family Asilidae).  Ohio J. Sci.  18:319-322.

 

Hine, J. S. 1919.  Robberflies of the genus Erax.  Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 12:103-154 + plates VII-IX.

 

Hine, J. S.  1922.  Some robberflies in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and the description of a new species.  Mich. Univ. Mus. Zool. Occas. Pap. 121:1-7.

 

Howard, L. O.  1900.  Notes on miscellaneous insects in Kansas.  p. 103 in Some miscellaneous results of the work of the Division of Entomology.  USDA Div. Entomol. Bull. 22 (n.s.):1-109.

 

Howard, L. O. 1901.  Miscellaneous notes from Kansas.  pp. 84-85 in Some miscellaneous results of the work of the Division of Entomology.  USDA Div. Entomol. Bull. 30 (n.s.):1-98.

 

Hull, F.M.  1962.  Robberflies of the world.  The genera of the family Asilidae.  U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 224.  Part 1:1-430, Part 2:431-907.  Figures 1-2356.

 

Hunter, S.J. 1899.  Alfalfa, grasshoppers, bees: their relationship.  A report of the field-work of the Department of Entomology, summer of 1898.  Bull. Dept. Ent. Kans. Univ.  65:152 pp.

 

James, M. T.  1941.  The robber flies of Colorado (Diptera, Asilidae).  J. Kans. Entomol. Soc.  14(1):27-36, 14(2):37-53.

 

James, M.T. 1942.  Additions to the “Robber Flies of Colorado”.  J. Kans. Entomol. Soc.  15(4):124-126.

 

Jones, P.R.  1907.  A preliminary list of the Asilidae of Nebraska, with description of new species.  Trans. Am. Ent. Soc.  33:273-286.

 

Lavigne, R. J., C. R. Nelson, and E. T. Schreiber.  1994.  New prey records for Proctacanthus (Diptera: Asilidae) with comments on prey choice.  Entomol. News, 105(2):85-97.

 

Martin, C.H.  1951.  The lectotype and allotype of Holopogon snowi Back (Diptera: Asilidae).  J. Kans. Entomol. Soc.  24(1):35-36.

 

Martin, C.H.  1957.  A revision of the Leptogastrinae in the United States (Diptera, Asilidae).  Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 111:345-385.

 

Martin, C.H.  1959a.  New species of Cerotainiops Curran (Diptera: Asilida).  J. Kans. Entomol. Soc.  32(2):49-53.

 

Martin, C.H.  1959b.  The Holopogon complex of North America, excluding Mexico, with the descriptions of a new genus and a new subgenus (Diptera, Asilidae).  Am. Mus. Nov.  No. 1980.  40 pp.

 

Martin, C. H.  1965.  Distribution patterns and corrected identifications of asilid species reported as common to North and South America (Diptera: Asilidae).  Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 91(1):1-37.

 

Martin, C. H.  1968.  A review of Ospriocerus (Diptera: Asilidae).  Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Fourth Series, 35(18):401-424.

 

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.  Occ. Pap. Cal. Acad. Sci. No. 119:1-107.

 

Martin, C.H. and J. Wilcox.  1965.  Family Asilidae.  pp. 360-401 in A Catalog of the Diptera of America north of Mexico (A. Stone, C.W. Sabrosky, W.W. Wirth, R.H. Foote, and J. R. Coulson, eds.).   Agr. Hdbk. No. 276, U.S.G.P.O., Washington, D.C.

 

Melander, A. L. 1923.  The genus Cyrtopogon (Diptera: Asilidae).  Psyche 27:91-101.

 

Pritchard, A.E.  1942.  A revision of the genus Cerotainiops Curran (Diptera: Asilidae).  J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 15(1):19-24.

 

Pritchard, A.E.  1943.  Revision of the genus Cophura Osten Sacken (Diptera: Asilidae).  Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am.  36:281-309.

 

Smith, R. C., E. G. Kelly, G. A. Dean, H. R. Bryson, and R. L. Parker.  1962.  Robber Flies.  pp. 232-235 in Insects in Kansas (Revised Edition by D. E. Gates and L. L. Peters).  Ext. Serv., Kans. St. Univ., Manhattan, Kansas.

 

Snow, F.H.  1903.  A preliminary list of the Diptera of Kansas.  Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 12(5):211-223.

 

Tucker, E. S.  1907.  Family Asilidae.  pp. 92-95 in Some results of desultory collecting of insects in Kansas and Colorado.  Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 4(2):51-112.

 

Tucker, E.S. 1909a.  Additional results of collecting insects in Kansas and Colorado.  Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 

22:276-304.

 

Tucker, E.S. 1909b.  Supplementary additions to the list of Kansas Diptera.  Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 

22:306-307.

 

Wilcox, J. 1960.  Laphystia Loew in North America (Diptera: Asilidae).  Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 53:328-346.

 

Wilcox, J.  1966.  Efferia Coquillett in America north of Mexico (Diptera: Asilidae).  Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (4th Series) 34(2):85-234.

 

Wilcox, J.  1971.  The genera Stenopogon Loew and Scleropogon Loew in America north of Mexico (Diptera: Asilidae).  Occ. Pap. Cal. Acad. Sci. No. 89: 134 pp.

 

Willis, H. L.  1967.  Bionomics and zoogeography of tiger beetles of saline habitats in the central United States.  Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 47:145-313.

 

Williston, S.W.  1883.  On the North American Asilidae (Dasypogoninae, Laphrinae), with a new genus of Syrphidae.  Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc.  11:1-35 + plates I,II.

 

Williston, S.W.  1885.  On the North American Asilidae (Part II).  Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 12:53-76.

 

Williston, S.W.  1893.  New or little-known Diptera. Kans. Univ. Quarterly  2(2):59-78.