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Found at Ecolodge Itororó reserve, in/near Nova Friburgo municipality in state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil on 27.XI.2019. Female Saropogon?

Bigger flickr versions:

Number 1.
Number 2.

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Asilidae; either Dasypogoninae or Stenopogoninae female. (Need to identify in hand).

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Thanks.

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Hi Jeff, really interesting finds! Any chance you could put these recent robber observations on iNaturalist?

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The only "Stenopogoninae" that would be similar IMO is Grajahua (which was collected in Rio de Janeiro). However, its proboscis strongly curves downward and doesn't fit with this fly.

I think it's fair to say it belongs to Dasypogoninae (one can almost make out what appears to be a fore-tibial spine on the right tibia). Cell m3 being open helps narrow it down a bit. I'd say it is most similar to Tocantinia or Amorimius, but not a great match for either. A hard one to ID. Probably an undescribed species, and maybe genus for that matter.

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Thanks Chris. I was so disappointed not to get better shots of this. She was ovipositing in the trail and I can usually sneak up close to ovipositing females. I followed this one around a bit trying to get close, but it tired of my presence and took off. I came back to the spot several times in the next days but no luck finding it on the trail or adjacent foliage. Plan to head back late Fall, fingers crossed.