Laphystia rufofasciata Curran, 1931

Lavigne, Robert J. & Dennis, Steve, 2019, Robber flies (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae) of Wyoming, USA with keys to genera and species, Zootaxa 4662 (1), pp. 1-126 : 95-96

Laphystia rufofasciata Curran

Laphystia rufofasciata Curran, 1931: 13 . Recognition characters: Grayish species; length 9–11 mm; mystax straw white; thorax gray and yellow pollinose; scutellar bristles lacking; scutellar setae straw white short and recumbent; abdomen black, yellowish gray pollinose fasciae entire dorsally on segments 1–3, 6 and interrupted on segment 4 and 5; legs with femora reddish brown posteriorly and largely gray pollinose anteriorly.

Distribution: SWEETWATER: Holotype, male, Green River, 2 July 1920; allotype, female, and one paratype, female, Rock Springs, 19 June 1920 ( FEL) (deposited in AMNH) ( Curran 1931; Wilcox 1960); Green River, 20 June 1950 ( CHM), topotype, elevation 1,859 m (6,100 ft), 2 July 1920 ( JW) (specimen in CAS), 4 Aug. 1964 ( JW) (specimen in CAS); 19 km S of Green River, 28 July 1969 ( RMB) (three specimens in CAS); Rock Springs, 6 June 1958 ( JW) (four specimens in CAS), 9 June 1958 ( JW) (16 specimens in CAS); Thayer Jct., 27 km NE of Rock Springs, 19 July–2 Aug. 1976 –79 ( RJL, MP, PJ); 14 km W of Point of Rocks, 18 July 1976 ( RJL); 38 km S of Wamsutter, Recreation Area Eureka Headquarters Rd., 26 June 1978 ( RJL) (specimen in NMSCA). Recorded from Wyoming by: Cole (1969); Dennis et al. (2010); Fisher & Wilcox (1997); Geller-Grimm (2018); Lavigne et al. (1983); Martin & Wilcox (1965); Wilcox (1960).

Habitat: Sagebrush steppe shrub and grassland vegetation type. At Thayer Jct. this species was found within and along the banks of intermittent streambeds. The dominant vegetation on the streambed banks was black greasewood ( Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook.) Torr. ) and spearleaf rabbitbrush ( Chrysothamnus linifolius Greene ) (see Lavigne et al. 1983).

Ethology: Always initiated foraging flights from sunlit or shaded sand (see Lavigne et al. 1983).

Prey: ARANEAE, COLEOPTERA , DIPTERA , HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera, Homoptera) , HYMENOPTERA , LEPIDOPTERA , PSOCOPTERA (see Dennis et al. 2010; Lavigne et al. 1983).