Laphria
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| Meigen , 1803 |
Laphria is a genus of predatory flies (Asilidae) from the subfamily of the Laphriinae . It wasdescribedby Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1803. The name murder flies ,proposed in 1820, comes from him, but it is also used for representatives of other species of fly. About 240 species are known worldwide, 19 of which occur in Europe.
features
The flies of this genus are usually strongly built. Their body size is very variable and ranges from a small 10-11 millimeters in length to 39 millimeters in length in Laphria lata . Many Palearctic species are more or less similar to bumblebees, but there are also wasp-like species. They differ from other predatory flies in that they have R2 + 3 wing veins , which R1 meets in front of the edge of the wing, antennae blunted at the tip with no styli on the first limb, two-part palps , a laterally flattened proboscis and the missing tubercles on the thighs ( Femora ) of the hind legs.
Occurrence
The genus is widespread and inhabits the northern latitudes of the world ( Holarctic ). The animals mainly fly in open areas close to boreal and other coniferous forests and generally appear from high to late summer.
Way of life
Laphria do not have any particular mating behavior. The males fly around in suitable mating locations, for example on felled tree trunks, and seize both females and males. The latter are released as soon as they are recognized. In the females, mating begins immediately after grabbing. The couple flies to a seat where the mating tail tip to tail tip continues. The females lay their eggs in cracks in the bark and dead wood or on tree needles in the ground.
The larvae develop on dead wood in the soil. Little is known about their way of life, but it is believed that they predatory feed on eggs and larvae of other insects.
The imagines feed like the other robber flies prey on insects, which they suck with their proboscis. With their laterally flattened proboscis, they, like the other representatives of the Laphriini tribe, prey on beetles in flight before they can close their wings . This allows them to overpower even heavily armored beetles quickly and without a great deal of fighting. Such beetles, such as jewel beetles , are therefore among their preferred prey. However, they are not limited to large prey, but also catch much smaller insects, such as mosquitoes (Chironomidae).
Species (Europe)
- Laphria aurea (Fabricius, 1794)
- Laphria auriflua Gerstaecker, 1862
- Laphria bomboides Macquart, 1849
- Laphria coarctata Dufour, 1833
- Laphria dizonias Loew, 1847
- Laphria empyrea Gerstaecker, 1862
- Laphria ephippium (Fabricius, 1781)
- Yellow predator fly ( Laphria flava (Linnaeus, 1761))
- Laphria flavescens Macquart, 1838
- Laphria galathei Costa, 1857
- Laphria gibbosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Laphria hecate Gerstaecker, 1862
- Laphria leucocephala Meigen, 1804
- Laphria meridionalis Mulsant & Reveliere, 1860
- Laphria nigripennis Meigen, 1820
- Laphria nitidula (Fabricius, 1794)
- Laphria scutellata Macquart, 1835
- Laphria tibialis Meigen, 1820
- Laphria vulpina Meigen, 1820
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.asilidae.de , accessed on July 26, 2013.
- ^ Genus Laphria - Bee-like Robber Flies. BugGuide.Net, accessed July 23, 2013 .
- ↑ Laphria. Fauna Europaea, accessed July 23, 2013 .
- ↑ a b c d Species Page - Laphria . Entomology Museum Alberta: Entomology Collection, accessed July 23, 2013 .
- ↑ a b Laphria Meigen s. st. The Laphriini Pages by Stephen W. Bullington, Ph.D., accessed July 23, 2013 .
