Cedar Creek
Natural History Area
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Insects of Cedar Creek
Order DIPTERA
Family ASILIDAE
(Robber Flies)
The Robber Flies (883 NA spp) are a conspicuous element in CCNHA old fields.
Others resembling bumblebees (Laphria spp) are fairly common
in woodland. Michigan reports 72 species (Baker, 1975). Roughly 25 species
have been collected at Cedar Creek. These voracious predators take insect
prey (flies, bees, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles) on the wing and
then alight to suck out the victim's hemolymph with their wicked beak.
Larvae are ground-dwelling predators. Adults are keen-eyed and extremely
wary. Three species of delicate Leptogaster
have been collected. Two larger forms occur in woodland and a smaller species
is common in prairie in early summer. Another early summer old-field species
is Holopogon vockerothi
. The most conspicuous Asilids of old fields in midsummer are species of
Tolmerus
(=Machimus) (incl.
autumnalis,
notatus,
virginicus,
manei).
Proctacanthella
leucopogon occurs at blowouts in xeric fields, and Neoitamus
flavofemoratus appears to be a savanna species. Proctacanthus
milbertii is a common large Asilid of old fields in late summer
(Aug. Sept). Cyrtopogon
falto is a black species of woodland. Bee-mimicking species
of
Laphria collected
in woodland include:
aktis,
canis,
divisor,
flavicollis,
index, janus,
sacrator,
sadales,
and
thoracica.
Asilusparopus? and Stichopogon
argenteus also collected.
REFERENCES
Baker NT and RL Fischer (1975). A taxonomic and ecologic study
of the Asilidae of Michigan. Great Lakes Ent. 8:31-91.