Robber flies (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae) of Wyoming, USA with keys to genera and species
Author
Lavigne, Robert J.
Author
Dennis, Steve
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-08-30
4662
1
1
126
journal article
25823
10.11646/zootaxa.4662.1.1
7070ef91-15db-4b7e-a87d-72e7b0bdb192
1175-5326
3383448
366A1E81-946C-4ED4-8A65-C51151FE87CC
Dicropaltum mesae
(Tucker)
Tolmerus mesae
Tucker
: 92.
Recognition characters:
Grayish brown species; length
7–10 mm
; mystax white; thorax largely yellowish brown pollinose; scutellum gray pollinose, setae white, bristles 2 white; wings hyaline, very faintly clouded apically; abdomen yellowish brown pollinose; legs with femora black, tibiae and tarsi reddish brown, setae and bristles white, exceptionally numerous on femora.
Distribution:
ALBANY: Bosler,
13 July 1937
(
CLJ
,
RHB-UK
); Centennial,
2 Aug. 1960
(
RJL
); Laramie,
5 Aug. 1949
(
RHB-UK
),
2–8 July 1973
(
SD
). BIG HORN: Greybull Airport,
16 June 1966
(
RJL
). CARBON: Rawlins,
26 June 1920
(
AMNH
). FREMONT: Gas Hills Road, Riverton,
11 June 1963
(
LJS
,
RJL
);
11 km
SW of Shoshoni and
16 km
S of Shoshoni, numerous records,
3 June–17 July
(
FRH
,
LR
,
RJL
,
SD
). GOSHEN:
2 July 1943
;
2 July 1944
;
18–19 July 1945
(
REP
). JOHNSON:
24 km
S of Buffalo,
23 June 1943
(
REP
). LARAMIE:
22 July 1944
(
REP
). NATRONA: Casper,
3 June 1960
(
CH
); Rte. 220, Casper Jct.,
24 June 1964
(
FRH
,
RJL
). NIOBRARA: Lusk,
14 July 1937
(
RHB-UK
);
6 July 1946
(
REP
); Manville,
24 June 1949
;
14 July 1947
(
REP
);
2–9 July 1943
;
18 July 1945
;
18 July 1952
(
REP
). PARK: Horse Creek Campground, Shoshone National For.,
21 July 1957
(
AD
&
HD-CU
); Laramie,
5 Aug. 1949
(
RHB-UK
);
2–8 July 1973
(
SD
). PLATTE: Dwyer, numerous records,
3 June–11 Aug.
(
DRT
,
REP
,
RJL
); Camp
Guernsey
, WANG, 2001b (
CSU
,
GMAD
); Gray Rocks Ranch, Camp
Guernsey
,
25 June–5 Aug. 2008
(
CSU
,
GMAD
);
Guernsey
, numerous records,
31 May–28 July
(
REP
,
RJL
); Hartville,
9 July 1964
(
RJL
);
11–14 July 1944
;
4 July 1945
;
20 June–10 July 1951
(
REP
); Pruitt Ranch,
22 June 1966
(
NM
); Wheatland,
14 July 1937
(
RHB-UK
). SHERIDAN:
6 June 1939
(
REP
); Sheridan, WANG, LTA,
15 June 2007
(
CSU
,
GMAD
). SWEETWATER:
16 km
W of Farson,
20 July 1965
(
GEB
,
PT
) (specimen in
CAS
); Green River,
2 July 1920
(
AMNH
); Wamsutter,
21 June 1950
(
CHM
). Recorded from Wyoming by:
Adisoemarto (1967)
(Green River, Rock Springs, Rawlins, Carbon County, as
Asilus mesae
);
Cole (1969)
(as
Asilus mesae
);
Dennis & Lavigne (1975)
(as
Asilus mesae
;
as prey of
Ospriocerus latipennis
,
Proctacanthella cacopiloga
);
Geller-Grimm (2018)
;
Lavigne &
Holland
(1969)
[as
Asilus mesae
; as prey of
Pogonioefferia staminea
(as
Efferia staminea
)];
Lavigne
et al.
(1976)
[as
Asilus mesae
; as prey of
Pogonioefferia benedicti
(as
Efferia benedicti
)];
Martin (1975)
.
Habitat:
Saltbrush-greasewood shrub, sagebrush steppe shrub and grassland, and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass grassland vegetation
types
. Open range, short- to mid-grass plains and greasewood.
Ethology:
Forages from both the ground and vegetation, depending on the temperature of the ground surface (see
Dennis & Lavigne 1975
).
Prey:
DIPTERA
, HETEROPTERA, HOMOPTERA,
HYMENOPTERA
,
LEPIDOPTERA
,
ORTHOPTERA
(see
Dennis & Lavigne 1975
and
Rogers & Lavigne 1972
, both as
Asilus mesae
).