Vol. 90, No. 2, April 1979 95 A LIST OF KNOWN ROBBER FLIES OF PENNSYLVANIA (DIPTERA: ASILIDAE) 1 Todd E. Shelly 2 ABSTRACT: Pennsylvania county records and capture dates are presented for 84 asilid species known from the state. Within the past several decades scant attention has been given to the taxonomy or distribution of asilids of the eastern Nearctic region. Despite accounts of eastern Diogmites (Artigas 1966), Michigan asilids (Baker and Fischer 1975), and Arkansas asilids (Scarbrough 1972), several of the most recent notes include Brimley (1922), Bromley (1925, 1931, 1946a, b, 1947, 1950 a, b), Champlain and Knull (1923), Fattig (1945), and McAtee and Banks (1920). While initiating a revision of the genus Laphria, I examined 1699 specimens collected from Pennsylvania and noted county and date of capture for each. In the resulting list, the number of specimens examined of each species is also presented to provide a rough estimate of relative abun- dance. Note, however, that inter-generic comparisons of relative abundance, in particular, should be drawn carefully since large and hence more conspicu- ous species are more likely to be captured than smaller species. Note too that capture dates do not refer to the known flight period over a species' total geographic range but instead refer only to the range of known Pennsylvania capture dates. For more information on flight range and general biology of east coast asilids, the reader is referrred to the aforementioned articles plus Bromley (1923), Scarbrough and Sipes (1973), Scarbrough and Norden (1977), and Scarbrough (1978). For each species in the following list Roman numerals are followed by (I) Pennsylvania counties within which at least one individual was captured, (II) range of Pennsylvania capture dates, and (III) number of specimens examined by the author. Unfortunately, for several rare species, the few specimens collected were only labelled "Pa." and in these cases the county and date of capture information is noted as being "Unrecorded". The asilid classification and nomenclature system followed is that of Martin and Wilcox (1965). Received for publication: November 6, 1978. 2 Dep't. of Entomology and Applied Ecology, Univ. of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19711. Current address: Department of Biology U.C.L.A., Los Angeles, CA 90024 ENT. NEWS 90 (2) 95-99. April 1979 96 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS KNOWN ASILIDAE OF PENNSYLVANIA Leptogastrinae 1. Beameromyia pictipes (Loew). I. Delaware, Monroe II. June 16-July 1 2 III. 2 2. Leptogaster atridorsalis Back. I. Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, II. June 6- July 14 III. 5 3. Leptogaster flavipes Loew. I. Allegheny, Bucks, Centre, Delaware, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 4-July 24 III. 44 4. Leptogaster incisuralis Loew. I. Delaware II. June 13-June 24 III. 2 5. Leptogaster virgata Coquillet. I. Allegheny , Bucks, Delaware II. July 2-August 1 III. 3 6. Psilonyx annulatus (Say). I. Delaware, Fayette, Montgomery, Philadelphia II. July 5- September 4 III. 18 7. Tipulogaster glabrata (Wiedemann). I. Allegheny, Lehigh, Montgomery, Westmore- land II. June 13-August 17 III. 21 Dasypogoninae 8. Ceraturgus cruciatus (Say). I. Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Philadelphia, Potter II. June 3-July 30 III. 3 3 9. Ceraturgus similis Johnson. I. Unrecorded II. Unrecorded III.l 10. Crytopogon falto (Walker). I. Centre, Forest, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Potter II. June 9- July 4 III. 12 11. Crytopogon laphriformis Curran. I. Bucks II. May 14 III. 1 12 Crytopogon lyratus Osten Sacken. I. Tioga II. August 2 III. 1 13. Crytopogon maginalis Loew. I. Centre, Huntington II. June 19-August 4 III. 2 14. Dioctria (Dioctria) baumhaueri Meigen. I. Centre II. June 9 III. 1 15. Dioctria (Eudioctriaj albius Walker. I. Allegheny, Bradford, Centre, Fayette, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Potter, Somerset, Westmore- land II. May 25-August 6 III. 91 16. Dioctria (Eudioctria) brevis Banks I. Centre, Lehigh, York II. June 9-July 21 III. 13 17. Dioctria (Eudioctriaj tibialis Banks. I. Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June22-July 13 III. 3 18. Diogmites basalis (Walker). I. Allegheny, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Philadelphia, Pike, Sullivan II. July 13-August 30 111.29 19. Diogmites discolor Loew. I. Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Centre, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Lancaster, Philadelphia II. July 9-September 2 111.41 20. Diogmites misellus Loew. I. Monroe II. Unrecorded III. 2 21. Diogmites platypterus Loew. I. Centre, Clearfield II. July 30-August 1 3 III. 9 22. Echthopoda formosa Loew. I. Delaware II. July 1 III. 2 23. Heteropogon macerinus (Walker). I. Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lehigh, Montgomery, Somerset II. July 1 1-September 15 III. 22 24. Holocephala abdominalis (Say). I. Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 15-September 1 III. 98 25. Holocephala calva (Loew). I. Centre, Delaware, Fayette, Lehigh, Montgomery II. June 23-August 22111.31 Vol. 90, No. 2, April 1979 97 26. Holopogon (Holopogon) guttulus (Wiedemann). I. Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery II. June 14-July 15 III. 4 27. Holopogon (Holopogon) phaeonotus Loew. I. Dauphin, Lehigh II. Unrecorded III. 4 28. Stichopogon argenteus (Say). I. Unrecorded II. Unrecorded III. 1 29. Stichopogon trifasciatus (Say). I. Lehigh II. June 28-August 18 III. 2 30. Taracticus octopunctatiis (Say). I. Allegheny, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmore- land II. July 3-July 11 III. 8 Laphriinae 31. Andrenosoma fulvicauda (Say). I. Allegheny, Bucks, Dauphin, Venango II. June 13- August 16 III. 4 32. Atomosia glabrata (Say). I. Allegheny, Delaware, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 8-August 11 III.9 33. Atomosia puella (Wiedemann). I. Allegheny, Centre, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 2-August 22 III. 47 34. Atomosia pusilla Macquart. I. Centre, Delaware, Lancaster, McKean, Philadelphia II. June 21-July 21 III. 16 35. Atomosia ruflpes Macquart. I. Bucks, Delaware II. June 24-August 17 III. 3 36. Atomosia sayii Johnson. I. Delaware, Monroe, Philadelphia II. June 30-July 31 III. 23 37. Cerotainia albipilosa Curran. I. Centre, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery II. June 18- July 28 III. 7 38. Cerotainia macrocera (Say). I. Allegheny, Berks, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 19-August 12 III. 16 39. Dasylechia atrox (Williston). I. Philadelphia II. July 28 III. 1 40. Lampria bicolor (Wiedemann). I. Delaware, Monroe II. June 30 III. 2 4 1 . Laphria aeata Walker. I. Monroe II. Unrecorded III. 1 42. Laphria affinis Macquart. I. Philadelphia II. June 18 III. 1 43. Laphria aktis McAtee. I. Allegheny, Dauphin II.May 27-June 27 III.l 1 44. Laphria canis Williston. I. Allegheny, Bucks, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Dela- ware, Fayette, Huntingdon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. May 29-August 25 III. 67 45. Laphria champlainii (Walton). I. Cumberland II. June 29-July 7 III. 8 46. Laphria divisor (Banks). I. Allegheny, Delaware, Philadelphia, Washington II. June 12-July 8III.9 47. Laphria Jlaricollis Say. Allegheny, Berks, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Fayette, Lehigh Philadelphia, Washington II. May 9-August 2 III. 161 48. Laphria gilva (Linnaeus). I. Philadelphia II. June 25 III. 1 49. Laphria grossa (Fabricius). I Centre, Cumberland, Delaware, Lehigh, Philadelphia II. June 3-July 28 III. 25 50 Laphria index McAtee. I. Allegheny, Dauphin, Montgomery, Tioga, Westmoreland II. June 2-August 25 III. 13 51. Laphria ithvpyga McAtee. I. Beaver, Delaware, Huntingdon, Philadelphia, Somerset II. June 19-September 4 III. 1 7 52. Laphria posticata Say. I. Centre, Delaware, Huntingdon, Lehigh, Union II. May 10- August 20 III. 16 98 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 53. Laphria sacrator Walker. I. Forest, Sullivan II. June 7-August 5 III. 7 54. Laphria saddles Walker. I. Monroe II. July 1 2, III. 1 55. Laphria saffrana Fabricius. I. Allegheny II. Unrecorded III. 1 56. Laphria scorpio McAtee. I. Centre II. July 14 III. 1 57. Laphria sericea Say. I. Allegheny, Centre, Dauphin Fayette, Huntingdon, Monroe, Washington, Westmoreland II. May 21-August 13 III. 40 58. Laphria sicula McAtee. I. Allegheny, Centre, Fayette, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 4-August 13 III. 32 59. Laphria thoracica Fabricius. I. Allegheny, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Washington II. May 17-July 19 III. 73 60. Laphria virginica (Banks). I. Dauphin, Philadelphia II. June 15-July 18 III. 3 61. Laphria winneman McAtee. I. Allegheny, Centre, Forest, Huntingdon, Philadelphia II. June 15-July 11 III. 18 Asilinae 62. Asilus auricomus Hine. I. Elk, Monroe, Philadelphia II. August 27-Ocotober 12 III. 6 63. Asilus erythocnemius Hine. I. Pike II. July 8 III. 1 64. Asilus lecythus Walker. I. Admas, Allegheny, Bucks, Centre, Dauphin, Fayette, Monroe, Montgomery, Westmoreland II. June 20-July 23 III. 55 65. Asilus sericeus Say. I. Allegheny, Centre, Delaware, Forest, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry II. May 20-September 1 III. 78 66. Asilus virginicus Banks. I. Centre, Cumberland II. June 1 0-July 8 III. 2 67. Efferia aestuans (Linnaeus). I. Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Centre, Cumberland, Dela- ware, Huntingdon, Lawrence, Luzerne, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, II. June 6-August 24 III. 108 68. Efferia pogonias (Wiedemann). I. Allegheny, Centre, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Luzerne, Monroe, Philadelphia, Pike II. July 12-September 21 III. 23 69. Neoitamus flavo femora tus (Hine). I. Berks, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Crawford, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Somerset, West- moreland II. May 29-August 11 III. 33 70. Neoitamus orphne (Walker). I. Allegheny, Berks, Cameron, Centre, Fayette, Lebanon, Mifflin, Monroe, Philadelphia, Tioga, Westmoreland II. May 21-August 20 III. 70 71. Ominatius tibialis Say. I. Allegheny, Fayette, Westmoreland II. July 15-August 20 III. 4 72. Proctacanthus philadelphicus Macquart. I. Lehigh, Philadelphia II. July 28-August 27 III.2 73. Proctacanthus rufus Williston. I. Lehigh II. July 14 III. 1 74. Promachus bastardii (Macquart). I. Allegheny, Centre, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Westmoreland II. June 24-September 2 III. 26 75. Promachus rufipes (Fabricius). I. Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin II. July 28 - September 26 III.7 76. Promachus vertebratus (Say). I. Allegheny, Bucks, Centre, Clearfield, Dauphin, Huntingdon II. July 1 -September 5 III. 19 77. Tolmerus antimachus (Walker). I.Allegheny II. July 13 III. 1 78. Tolmerus johnsoni (Hine). I. Delaware II. July 14 III. 1 Vol. 90, No. 2, April 1979 99 79. Tolmerus maneei (Hine). I. Unrecorded II. Unrecorded III. 1 80. Tolmerus notatus (Widemann). I. Bucks, Centre, Cumberland, Delaware, Fayette, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Potter, Tioga, Westmore- land II. May 28-September 12 III. 72. 81. Tolmerus novascotiae (Macquart). I. Delaware, Lehigh, Philadelphia II. July 2- September4 III. 11 82. Tolmerus paropus (Walker). I. Luzerne, Monroe II. July 9-August 15 III. 3 83. Tolmerus sadyates (Walker). I. Centre, Erie, Fayette, Huntingdon, Tioga, West- moreland II. July 17-September 22 III. 27 84. Tolmerus snowii (Hine). I. Delaware, Monroe, Philadelphia II. June 9-August 25 III. 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the following persons during my visits to their respective institutions: D. Otte (ANSP), H. Roberts (Rutgers Univ.), M. Thayer (MCZ), L. Knutson and R. Gagne (USNM), P. Wygodzinsky (AMNH), G. Wallace (Carnegie Museum), R. Rust (Univ. Delaware), and F. Wood (Univ. Maryland). LITERATURE CITED Artigas, J.N. 1966. The genus Diogmites (Rober Flies) in eastern United States. Ohio J. Sci. 66: 401-421. Baker, N.T. and R.L. Fischer. 1975. A taxonomic and ecologic study of the Asilidae of Michigan. Great Lakes Ent. 8:31-91. Brimley, C.S. 1922. List of the robber flies (Asilidae, Diptera) of North Carolina. Ent. News 33: 294-298. Bromley, S.W. 1923. Observations on the feeding habits of robber flies. Part I. Proctacanthus rufus Will, and P. brevipennis Wied. Psyche 30: 41-45. Bromley, S.W. 1925. The Bremus resembling Mallophora of the southeastern United States (Diptera: Asilidae). Psyche 32: 190-194. Bromley, S.W. 1931. A preliminary annotated list of the robber flies of Ohio (Diptera: Asilidae). Sci. Bull. Ohio State Museum 1. 19pp. Bromley, S.W. 1946a. Bee-killing Asib'dae of the southeastern United States (Diptera). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 48: 16-17. Bromley, S.W. 1946b. Guide to the insects of Connecticut. Part VI. Asilidae. Conn. State Geol. Nat. Hist. Survey Bull. 69. 47pp. Bromley, S.W. 1947. Ohio robber flies IV (Diptera: Asilidae). Ohio J. Sci. 47: 67-68. Bromley, S.W. 1950a. Florida Asilidae (Diptera) with description of one new species. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 43: 227-239. Bromley, S.W. 1950b. Ohio robber flies V (Diptera: Asilidae). Ohio J, Sci. 50: 229-234. Champlain, A.B. and J.N. Knull. 1923. Notes on Pennsylvania Diptera. Ent. News 34:21 2. Fatrig, P.W. 1945. The Asilidae or robber flies of Georgia. Emory Univ. Museum Bull. 3.33pp. Martin, C.H. and J. Wilcox. 1965. In Stone, A> et al. A catalogue of the Diptera of America North of Mexico. Agr. Res. Serv., Agric. Hndbk. 276. Washington, D.C. McAtee, W.L. and N. Banks. 1920. District of Columbia: Asilidae. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 22: 13-33. Scarbrough, A.G. 1972. Records of robber flies from northeastern Arkansas, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 74: 375-378. Scarbrough, A.G. and G. Sipes. 1973. The biology of Leptogaster Jlaripcs Loew in Maryland (Diptera: Asilidae). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 74: 441-448. Scarbrough, A.G. and A. Norden. 1977. Ethology of Cerotainia albipilosa Curran (Asilidae: Diptera) in Maryland: Diurnal activity rhythm and seasonal distribution. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 79: 438-554. Scarbrough, A.G. 1978. Ethology of Cerotainia albipilosa Curran (Diptera: Asilidae) in Maryland: Predatory behavior. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 80: 113-127.