Asilinae

Asilus crabroniformis, copyright António A. Gonçalves.

Belongs within: Asilidae.

The Asilinae are a group of robber flies with a long, bare stylus on the antenna. They are the most diverse subfamily of robber flies in temperate regions of the world but are less diverse in the tropics (Fisher 2009). The larger number of species are assigned to the genus Asilus, including fossils going back to the Eocene (Wood 1981).

Characters (from Wood 1981, as Asilini): Apex of antenna with long slender bristle-like stylus; antennal stylus bare. Palpus one-segmented. Postmetacoxal area membranous. Wing with R₂₊₃ joining R₁ proximal to end of R₁, with cell r thus separated from wing margin; crossvein m-cu absent, and veins M₃ and CuA₁ joined together.

<==Asilinae [Asilini] F09
    |--Asilopsis W81
    |--Senoprosopis W81
    |--Promachella pilosa W81
    |--Promachina trapezoidalis W81
    |--Mallophorina frustra W81
    |--Proctacanthella cacopiloga W81
    |--Rhadiurgus variabilis W81
    |--Polacantha (Echinitropis) xanthocera F09
    |--Antipalus varipes F09
    |--Anarmostus iopterus F09
    |--Prolatiforceps anonyma F09
    |--Talamancasilus clavatus F09
    |--Threnia F09
    |--Pamponerus germanicus J61
    |--Acanthopleura brunnipes J61
    |--Colepia CM91
    |--Zosteria CM91
    |--Blepharotes CM91
    |--Neoaratus hercules CM70
    |--Heligmonevra O98
    |--Michotamia O98
    |--Cerdistus CM91 [incl. Neomochtherus W81]
    |    |--C. elegans J61
    |    `--‘Neomochtherus’ ochriventris J61
    |--Philonicus F09
    |    |--P. albiceps F09
    |    `--P. arizonensis BT04
    |--Wyliea F09
    |    |--W. chrysauges F09
    |    `--W. mydas F09
    |--Neoitamus W81
    |    |--N. cyanurus V09
    |    `--N. orphne W81
    |--Dysmachus J61
    |    |--D. dasynotus J61
    |    `--D. forcipula K01
    |--Machimus F09 [incl. Tolmerus W81]
    |    |--M. achterbergi Tomasovic 2004 F05
    |    |--M. gertschi F09
    |    |--M. paropus F09 [=Asilus (Machimus) paropus W81]
    |    |--M. perplexus J61
    |    |--M. rusticus J61
    |    `--M. soikai Janssens 1961 J61
    `--Asilus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. ater Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. aureus L02
         |--A. auriannulatus W81
         |--A. barbarus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. bipartitus Macquart 1847 E12
         |--A. blantoni W81
         |--A. crabroniformis Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. cyanurus R13
         |--A. flavopilosus Macquart 1847 E12
         |--A. forcipatus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. germanicus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. gibbosus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. gilvus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. hirtipes Macquart 1847 E12
         |--A. marginatus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. maurus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. morio Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. oelandicus Linnaeus 1758 L58
         |--A. periscelis Macquart 1847 E12
         |--A. teutonus L02
         |--A. tingitanus Boisduval 1835 B35
         `--A. tipuloides Linnaeus 1758 L58

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B35] Boisduval, J. B. 1835. Voyage de Découvertes de l’Astrolabe. Exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Faune entomologique de l'océan Pacifique, avec l'illustration des insectes nouveaux recueillis pendant le voyage vol. 2. Coléoptères et autres ordres. J. Tastu: Paris.

[BT04] Bybee, S. M., S. D. Taylor, C. R. Nelson & M. F. Whiting. 2004. A phylogeny of robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) at the subfamilial level: molecular evidence. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30: 789–797.

[CM70] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1970. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 656–740. Melbourne University Press.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[F05] Fernández, J. 2005. Noticia de nuevos táxones para la ciencia en el ámbito Íbero-Balear y Macaronésico. Nuevos táxones animales descritos en la península Ibérica y Macaronesia desde 1994 (IX). Graellsia 61 (2): 261–282.

[F09] Fisher, E. M. 2009. Asilidae (robber flies, assassin flies, moscas cazadoras, moscas ladronas). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 585–632. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[J61] Janssens, E. 1961. Sur quelques asilides mediterranees. Boll. Mus. Civ. Venezia 14: 29–36.

[K01] Kertész, K. 1901. Legyek [Dipteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 179–201. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

[O98] Oosterbroek, P. 1998. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago. Brill: Leiden.

[R13] Reuter, O. M. 1913. Lebensgewohnheiten und Instinkte der Insekten bis zum Erwachen der sozialen Instinkte. R. Friedländer & Sohn: Berlin.

[V09] Verdcourt, B. (ed.) 2009. Additions to the wild fauna and flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. XXVI. Miscellaneous records. Kew Bulletin 64 (1): 183–194.

[W81] Wood, G. C. 1981. Asilidae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 549–573. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Last updated: 3 January 2021.