Promachus rufipes (Fabricius)

Dennis, D. Steve, Barnes, Jeffrey K. & Knutson, Lloyd, 2008, Pupal cases of Nearctic robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1868 (1), pp. 1-98 : 66-67

Promachus rufipes (Fabricius)

This description is based on one pupal case with a pinned adult female from the United States National Museum. It is labeled " 11 mi. S.E. Baton Rouge, on Perkins Rd.; 25 Jun 1965; Mac Tidwell."

Description: Greatest length, including anterior antennal processes, 23.0 mm; greatest width of thorax 6.0 mm; greatest width of abdomen 5.5 mm, tapering to 2.0 mm at greatest width of abdominal segment 8. Integument subshining golden brown; head and thorax darker; spines and other processes glistening reddish brown, darker apically.

Head with pair of dorsally flattened, ventrally wedge­shaped anterior antennal processes not joined at base and group of 3 basally fused posterior antennal processes located ventrolaterally on each side; middle and outer posterior processes fused for greater distance and closer together, appearing shorter than inner process; all 3 posterior processes dorsoventrally flattened; outer posterior process wide for entire length and broadly rounded apically; inner and middle posterior processes mostly wide basally and more acute apically toward posterior margin. Labral sheath rugose with tubercle­like apical keel posteriorly. Proboscial sheath rugose, especially on each side of midline, with 1 median tubercle on each side of midline and median concave tubercle posteriorly. Maxillary sheath with medium sized, apically rounded process posteriorly, rugose near process and along inner margin.

Anterior coxal sheath mostly smooth except for slight rugoseness along inner margin, with anterior, median, longitudinal split. Prothoracic spiracle on flush rugose area, situated midlaterally at anterior margin of thorax. Anterior mesothoracic spines consisting of pair of dorsoventrally flattened, subequal, apically pointed spines on each side of thorax above base of sheath of mid legs; anterior spine broader basally than posterior spine and broadly curved on anterior margin with spine pointing posteriorly; posterior spine straight to slightly curved posteriorly. Posterior mesothoracic callosity large, smooth, located at base of each wing sheath, with sclerotized margin toward dorsum, and apically rounded posterior mesothoracic spine. Wing sheath rugose beyond pair of small, subequal median tubercles; with large, apically rounded tubercle near base and circular, rugose, upraised area in front of abdominal segment 1. Thoracic area above wing sheath irregularly rugulose. Apex of hind leg sheath reaching slightly beyond middle of abdominal segment 3.

Abdominal spiracles C­shaped, shining reddish brown, situated along midline laterally.

Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal transverse row of 6 apically recurved spurs on each side of median space; outermost spur on each side slightly shorter than other spurs; with 3 bristle­like spines behind spiracle; dorsolateral bristle­like spines absent; venter obscured by wing and leg sheaths.

Segments 2–5 with dorsomedian transverse row of 11 alternating long, straight to slightly apically recurved spurs and short, broad, straight spines; short median spine bifurcate on segments 2, 4, and 5.

Segments 6–7 with dorsomedian row of 6 long, straight to slightly apically recurved spurs. Segments 2–7 with 3–6 straight, dorsolateral, bristle­like spines. Segments 2–5 with 6–7 straight to slightly recurved bristlelike spines behind spiracles; segments 6 and 7 with 5–6 and 3–4 bristle­like spines behind spiracles, respectively; outermost spine toward dorsum on segments 2–6 short; sometimes third bristle­like spine from dorsum also short.

Segment 2 with 1–2 median, ventral bristle­like spines on each side of hind leg sheath; segment 3 with 2 short, median, ventral bristle­like spines and 4–5 long, ventrolateral, bristle­like spines; segments 4–5 and 6­7 with 18–19 and 15–16 ventral bristle­like spines, respectively.

Segment 8 with 1 dorsomedian spur on each side of dorsal midline, small spiracle at lateral midline, 2–3 lateral spines on each side, and median pair of small, closely approximate ventral tubercles; ventral bristlelike spines absent.

Segment 9 with pair of long, apically recurved dorsal posterolateral processes; pair of short ventral posterolateral processes curved apically toward and fused basally to dorsal posterolateral processes, and pair of terminal, median tubercles on venter.