Laphria is a genus described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1803, belonging to the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae. Members of this genus are known as bee-like robber flies. This genus has a Holarctic distribution, occurring in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Diet
They prey on a variety of insects, including other robber flies, bees, wasps and beetles. Like other asilids, they use their proboscis to penetrate the body of their prey and inject enzymes which dissolve the tissues.
Description
These large flies measure in length. Most Laphria species are quite hairy and black in color. Some have bee-mimicking markings with black and yellow stripes and pollen hairs (like Laphria thoracica).
Species
Select species include:
- Laphria affinis <small>Macquart, 1855</small>
- Laphria aktis <small>Mcatee, 1919</small>
- Laphria altitudinum <small>Bromley, 1924</small>
- Laphria apila <small>(Bromley, 1951)</small>
- Laphria aurea <small>(Fabricius, 1794)</small>
- Laphria canis <small>Williston, 1883</small>
- Laphria ephippium <small>(Fabricius, 1781)</small>
- Laphria fernaldi <small>(Back, 1904)</small>
- Laphria flava <small>(Linnaeus, 1761)</small>
- Laphria flavescens <small>Macquart, 1838</small>
- Laphria flavicollis <small>Say, 1824</small>
- Laphria gilva <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
- Laphria ithypyga <small>Mcatee, 1919</small>
- Laphria ivorina <small>Oldroyd, 1968</small>
- Laphria kistjakovskiji <small>Paramonov, 1929</small>
- Laphria sadales <small>Walker, 1849</small>
- Laphria saffrana <small>Fabricius, 1805</small>
- Laphria sapporensis <small>Matsumura, 1911</small>
- Laphria thoracica <small>Fabricius, 1805</small>
- Laphria tibialis <small>Meigen, 1820</small>
- Laphria venezuelensis <small>Macquart, 1846</small>
- Laphria ventralis <small>Williston, 1885</small>
- Laphria violacea <small>Macquart, 1846</small>
- Laphria vulpina <small>Meigen, 1820</small>
- Laphria xanthothrix <small>Hermann, 1914</small>
- Laphria yamatonis <small>Matsumura, 1916</small>
References
External links