Laphriinae Explained

Laphriinae is a subfamily of robber flies in the family Asilidae. There are more than 110 genera and 1,000 described species in Laphriinae. Many are mimics of syntopic bees. Some prey on bees as adults. Larvae of the genus Hyperechia are known to grow inside the cells of Xylocopa bees, feeding on their larvae.^[1]

Laphriinae genera

Genera in the subfamily include:

• Acrochordomerus Hermann, 1920
• Adelodus Hermann, 1912
• Afromelittodes Oldroyd and Bruggen, 1963
• Afromosia Londt, 2015
• Amathomyia Hermann, 1912
• Andrenosoma Rondani, 1856
• Anoplothyrea Meijere, 1914
• Anypodetus Hermann, 1908^[2]
• Aphestia Schiner, 1866
• Aphistina Oldroyd, 1972
• Aphractia Artigas and Papavero and Serra, 1991
• Apoxyria Schiner, 1866
• Atomosia Macquart, 1838
• Atoniomyia Hermann, 1912
• Atractia Macquart, 1838
• Bathropsis Hermann, 1912
• Borapisma Hull, 1957
• Bromotheres Hull, 1962
• Cenochromyia Hermann, 1912
• Cerotainia Schiner, 1868
• Cerotainiops Curran, 1930
• Choerades Walker, 1851
• Chrysotriclis Artigas and Papavero and Costa, 1995
• Chymedax Hull, 1958
• Clariola Kertész, 1901
• Cochleariocera Artigas and Papavero and Costa, 1995
• Cormansis Walker, 1851
• Cryptomerinx Enderlein, 1914
• Ctenota Loew, 1873
• Cyanonedys Hermann, 1912
• Cymbipyga Artigas and Papavero and Costa, 1995
• Cyphomyiactia Artigas and Papavero and Serra, 1991
• Dasylechia Williston, 1907
• Dasyllina Bromley, 1935
• Dasyllis Loew, 1851
• Dasythrix Loew, 1851
• Despotiscus Bezzi, 1928
• Dichaetothyrea Meijere, 1914
• Dissmeryngodes Hermann, 1912
• Epaphroditus Hermann, 1912
• Ericomyia Londt, 2015^[3]
• Eumecosoma Schiner, 1866
• Gerrolasius Hermann, 1920
• Glyphotriclis Hermann, 1920
• Goneccalypsis Hermann, 1912
• Gymnotriclis Artigas and Papavero and Costa, 1995
• Helolaphyctis Hermann, 1920
• Hexameritia Speiser, 1920
• Hodites Hull, 1962
• Hoplistomerus Macquart, 1838
• Hoplotriclis Hermann, 1920
• Hybozelodes Hermann, 1912
• Hyperechia Schiner, 1866
• Ichneumolaphria Carrera, 1951
• Joartigasia Martinez and Martinez, 1974
• Katharma Oldroyd, 1959
• Katharmacercus Tomasovic, 2014
• Laloides Oldroyd, 1972
• Lampria Macquart, 1838
• Lamprozona Loew, 1851
• Lamyra Loew, 1851
• Laphria Meigen, 1803 (bee-like robber flies)^[4]
• Laphygmolestes Hull, 1962
• Laphyctis Loew, 1858^[5]
• Laphystia Loew, 1847
• Laphystotes Oldroyd, 1974
• Laxenecera Macquart, 1838
• Loewinella Hermann, 1912
• Lycosimyia Hull, 1958
• Macahyba Carrera, 1947
• Mactea Richter and Mamaev, 1976
• Maira Schiner, 1866
• Martinomyia Özdikmen, 2006
• Nannolaphria Londt, 1977^[3]
• Neophoneus Williston, 1889
• Notiolaphria Londt, 1977^[3]
• Nusa Walker, 1851
• Nyximyia Hull, 1962
• Oidardis Hermann, 1912
• Opeatocerus Hermann, 1912
• Opocapsis Hull, 1962
• Orthogonis Hermann, 1914
• Pagidolaphria Hermann, 1914
• Perasis Hermann, 1906
• Phellopteron Hull, 1962
• Pilica Curran, 1931
• Pilophoneus Londt, 1988
• Pogonosoma Rondani, 1856^[4]
• Proagonistes Loew, 1858
• Protometer Artigas and Papavero and Costa, 1995
• Prytanomyia Özdikmen, 2006^[6]
• Pseudonusa Joseph and Parui, 1989
• Psilocurus Loew, 1874
• Rhatimomyia Lynch Arribálzaga, 1882
• Rhopalogaster Macquart, 1834
• Scytomedes Röder, 1882
• Smeryngolaphria Hermann, 1912
• Stiphrolamyra Engel, 1928
• Storthyngomerus Hermann, 1919
• Strombocodia Hermann, 1912
• Systropalpus Hull, 1962
• Torebroma Hull, 1957
• Tricella Daniels, 1975
• Trichardis Hermann, 1906
• Trichardopsis Oldroyd, 1958
• Triclioscelis Roeder, 1900
• Triclis Loew, 1851
• Udenopogon Becker in Becker and Stein, 1913
• Zabrops Hull, 1957
• †Protoloewinella Schumann, 1984

Further reading

• Phylogeny of Asilidae inferred from morphological characters of imagines (Insecta, Diptera, Brachycera, Asiloidea). 2009. Dikow . T.. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. . 319. 0003-0090. 2246/5949. free.
• A world catalogue of the genera of the family Asilidae (Diptera). 2004. Geller-Grimm . Fritz. Studia Dipterologica. 10.
• Robber flies of the world. 1962. Hull . F. M.. Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 224. 10.5479/si.03629236.224. 10088/10126. free.
• Book: Manual of Nearctic Diptera, Volume I. 1981. McAlpine . J. F.. Petersen . B. V.. Shewell . G. E.. Teskey . H. J.. Vockeroth . J. R.. Wood . D. M.. Agriculture Canada, Research Branch. 978-0-660-10731-8.

Notes and References

1. Poulton. Edward B.. 1924. VI. The relation between the larvae of the Asilid genus Hyperechia (Laphriinae) and those of Xylocopid bees. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. en. 72. 1–2. 121–133. 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1924.tb03352.x.
2. Dikow . Torsten . Dubus . Meliah . A review of the assassin-fly genus Anypodetus Hermann, 1907 with the description of a new species (Insecta, Diptera, Asilidae) . African Invertebrates . 5 May 2023 . 64 . 2 . 165–206 . 10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.104283 . free . 2023AfrIn..64..165D .
3. Londt . Jason G. H. . Taxonomic Observations Regarding Four Genera of Afrotropical Robber Flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the Description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae) . African Invertebrates . June 2015 . 56 . 1 . 191–228 . 10.5733/afin.056.0115 . 2015AfrIn..56..191L .
4. Mohammadi . Rahman . Talebi . Ali Asghar . Fathipour . Yaghoub . Kazerani . Farzaneh . Study of the genera Laphria Meigen, 1803 and Pogonosoma Rondani, 1856 (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae) in Iran, with two new species records for the country . Journal of Crop Protection . CASRP; Center of Advanced Scientific Research and Publications . 7 . 4 . 2018-09-01 . 2251-9041 . 429–435 . 2024-05-16.
5. Londt . Jason G. H. . Dikow . Torsten . A review of the assassin-fly genus Laphyctis Loew, 1858 with descriptions of two new species (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae) . African Invertebrates . 15 June 2018 . 59 . 1 . 75–106 . 10.3897/afrinvertebr.59.25022 . free . 2018AfrIn..59...75L .
6. Londt . Jason G.H. . Dikow . Torsten . A revision of the Afrotropical genus Prytanomyia Özdikmen, 2006 (Asilidae, Laphriinae) . African Invertebrates . 1 June 2017 . 58 . 2 . 39–52 . 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.58.13294. free . 2017AfrIn..58...39L .