Diptera.info :: Family forums :: Asilidae Forum
 Large Robber Fly
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| Basil Crowley |
Posted on 23-08-2010 21:45
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Member Location: Southern England Posts: 58 Joined: 21.04.09 |
I photographed this very large (~15mm) and fierce looking fly in my conservatory this morning. My best guess is that it is a female Regasilus sp. If anyone can give me a more authoritative and complete id, I would be most grateful. Also any general information about the taxon would also be appreciated. I have retained the specimen, in case more id info is needed. Location: Oxfordshire, England. Many thanks. Basil Crowley attached the following image:  [38.76Kb] |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 23-08-2010 22:31
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 Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
With the tuft of hair on the underside of the tip of the abdomen it looks a bit more like Machimus atricapillus (if it still called that these days) 
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| Basil Crowley |
Posted on 23-08-2010 23:53
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Member Location: Southern England Posts: 58 Joined: 21.04.09 |
Thanks for the reply, Chris. However, a search of this website for photos of Machimus atricapillus reveals no matches, so, as you surmise, this taxon name may not be current. I presume this is the same as Tolmerus atricapillus, photos of which do seem to bear a resemblance to the above? So, would you agree that a male Tolmerus atricapillus, aka kite-tailed robber fly, would be the correct id/taxon name in this instance? What else is known about it? |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 24-08-2010 00:03
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Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
Yeah, I just had a feeling that it had swapped genus since I last identified one!  atricapillus would be my guess, and it is incredibly common at this time of year, but perhaps a few of the real experts could chip in and help us out I saw several this weekend at the Warburg NR, near Henley ... maybe you know the site?
Edited by ChrisR on 24-08-2010 00:03 Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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| Basil Crowley |
Posted on 24-08-2010 00:22
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Member Location: Southern England Posts: 58 Joined: 21.04.09 |
I see that there is a family forum for Asilidae. Perhaps I should have posted it there? However, I am not confident about getting even the family right  though I was very roughly on the right track this time. |
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| Quaedfliegh |
Posted on 27-08-2010 19:22
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 Member Location: Tilburg Netherlands Posts: 2219 Joined: 18.05.10 |
In the Netherlands it is still called Machimus but elsewhere the genus is now Tolmerus; so Tolmerus atricapillus is right. As for its size...for the sub family of the Asilinae it is pretty small
Greetings, Reinoud Field guide to the robber flies of the Netherlands and Belgium: https://www.jeugdbondsuitgeverij.nl/product/field-guide-to-the-robberflies-of-the-netherlands-and-belgium/ https://www.nev.nl/diptera/ |
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