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- Robber flies of Germany -
[Key]      Catalogue      Comparisons      Notes      Terminology     

key

 -   Subfamilies
 -   Asilinae
       Aneomochtherus
       Antipalus
       Antiphrisson
       Asilus
       Dysmachus-gr.
       Echthistus
       Erax
       Machimus-gr.
       Neoitamus
       Neomochtherus
       Pamponerus
       Philonicus
       Rhadiurgus
       Stilpnogaster

 

 

 

  contents & layout
  & copyright:
  Fritz Geller-Grimm
  Imprint

 
Identification key to Asilinae

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There are at least 33 Asilinae species occurring in Germany. This identification key is mainly based on publications by ENGEL (1930) and WEINBERG & BÄCHLI (1995). It is important to distinguish between the gender, i.e. the development of the female ovipositor is important for distinguishing between genera and the male terminalia are important to distinguish between species. Often, the diagnostic features of the included genera are not included to make the key easier to use because the Central European genera might be confusing for the non-specialist.


1 a. Length of metatarsus of mid leg reduced and somewhat widened [Fig. 1]
Fig. 1: Echthistus rufinervis: Tarsen
1 b. Metatarsus of mid leg of usual length [Fig. 2]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 2
Fig. 2: Machimus: Tarsen

2 a. Face with shiny spot in the middle and only eye margins tomentose [Fig. 3]
Fig. 3: Rhadiurgus variabilis: Gesicht frontal
2 b. Face completely covered with pubescence or only with a very narrow shiny longitudinal stripe [Fig. 4]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 3
Fig. 4: Tolmerus atricapillus: Gesicht frontal

3 a. No lateral marginal bristles developed on tergites (discal bristles) [Fig. 5], [Fig. 6]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 4
Fig. 5: Antiphrisson trifarius: Abdomen lateral   Fig. 6: Antiphrisson trifarius: Tergite lateral
3 b. Lateral marginal bristles on tergites (discal bristles) well-developed [Fig. 7], [Fig. 8]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 6
Fig. 7: Neomochtherus: Tergite lateral   Fig. 8: Neomochtherus: Tergite lateral

4 a. Base of wing milky white in males [Fig. 9]; upper margin of facial gibbosity distinctly angular [Fig. 10]
Fig. 9: Pamponerus germanicus: Wingbasis   Fig. 10: Pamponerus germanicus: Head lateral
4 b. Base of wing not different in colour from rest of wing [Fig. 11]; upper margin of facial gibbosity of usual shape, more rounded [Fig. 12]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 5
Fig. 11: Antiphrisson trifarius: dorsal   Fig. 12: Antiphrisson trifarius: Head lateral

5 a. Posterior tergites yellow [Fig. 13]; face beard (mystax) yellow [Fig. 14]
Fig. 13: Asilus crabroniformis: dorsal   Fig. 14: Asilus crabroniformis: Head lateral
5 b. All tergites black [Fig. 15]; face beard (mystax) white in upper part and black in lower part [Fig. 16]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Antiphrisson trifarius (Loew, 1849)
Fig. 15: Antiphrisson trifarius: dorsal   Fig. 16: Antiphrisson trifarius: Head lateral

6 a. Tergites and sternites black and shiny, except for somewhat tomentose hind margins of each segment [Fig. 17], [Fig. 18]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Stilpnogaster aemula (Meigen, 1820)
Fig. 17: Stilpnogaster aemula: lateral   Fig. 18: Stilpnogaster aemula: Tergite
6 b. At least tergites tomentose [Fig. 19], [Fig. 20]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 7
Fig. 19: Neomochtherus pallipes: lateral   Fig. 20: Neomochtherus pallipes: Tergite & Sternite

7 a. Postocular bristles (occipital bristles) long and sharply, bent anteriorly in right-angled medially [Fig. 21]; at least two last segments anterior to ovipositor shiny black [Fig. 22]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Neoitamus
Fig. 21: Neoitamus socius: Postocularborsten (Head lateral)   Fig. 22: Neoitamus cyanurus: female - Abdomen lateral
7 b. Postocular bristles (occipital bristles) either weakly bent or straight [Fig. 23]; two last segments anterior to ovipositor tomentose [Fig. 24]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 8
Fig. 23: Tolmerus atricapillus: Postocularborsten (Head lateral)   Fig. 24: Tolmerus pyragra: female - Abdomen lateral

8 a. Dorsocentral and acrostichal bristles weakly developed or entirely lacking anterior to transverse suture [Fig. 25]; facial gibbosity restricted to lower third of face [Fig. 26]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 9
Fig. 25: Neomochtherus pallipes: Scutum lateral   Fig. 26: Neomochtherus pallipes: Head lateral
8 b. Dorsocentral and acrostichal bristles well-developed anterior to transverse suture [Fig. 27]; facial gibbosity well-developed (at least occupying lower half of face) [Fig. 28]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 11
Fig. 27: Dysmachus fuscipennis: Scutum lateral   Fig. 28: Dysmachus fuscipennis: Head lateral

9 a. Legs completely black [Fig. 29]; ovipositor with erect spines [Fig. 30]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Philonicus albiceps (Meigen, 1820)
Fig. 29: Philonicus albiceps: lateral   Fig. 30: Philonicus albiceps: Ovopositor lateral
9 b. At least tibiae yellowish or red [Fig. 31]; ovipositor without such erect spines [Fig. 32]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 10
Fig. 31: Neomochtherus geniculatus: lateral   Fig. 32: Neomochtherus geniculatus: Ovipositor lateral

10 a. Sternites mainly shiny [Fig. 33]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Neomochtherus
Fig. 33: Neomochtherus geniculatus: Sternite
10 b. Sternites mainly tomentose [Fig. 34]
Fig. 34: Aneomochtherus flavicornis: Sternite

11 a. Area around cross-veins of wing darkened [Fig. 35]; postpedicel (3rd antennal segment) elongated [Fig. 36]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Erax barbatus Scopoli, 1763
Fig. 35: Erax barbatus: Wing   Fig. 36: Erax barbatus: Antenna
11 b. Area around cross-veins not particularly darkened [Fig. 37]; postpedicel (3rd antennal segment) of usual length and shape [Fig. 38]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 12
Fig. 37: Machimus: Wing   Fig. 38: Machimus arthriticus: Antenna

12 a. Ovipositors broad and short (wider than long), ventrally with densely arranged yellow hairs [Fig. 39], [Fig. 40]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Antipalus varipes (Meigen, 1820)
Fig. 39: Antipalus varipes: Ovipositor lateral   Fig. 40: Antipalus varipes: Ovipositor dorsal
12 b. Ovipositor laterally compressed (longer than wide) [Fig. 41], [Fig. 42]
. . . . . . . . . . . . to 13
Fig. 41: Didysmachus picipes: Ovipositor lateral   Fig. 42: Didysmachus picipes: Ovipositor dorsal

13 a. Cerci of ovipositor enclosed by last tergite [Fig. 43], [Fig. 44]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Dysmachus-group
[Didysmachus, Dysmachus, Eutomlus]
Fig. 43: Didysmachus picipes: Ovipositor lateral   Fig. 44: Eutolmus rufibarbis: Ovipositor lateral
13 b. Cerci free, not surrounded by last tergite [Fig. 45], [Fig. 46]
. . . . . . . . . . . . Machimus-group
[Machimus, Neoepitriptus, Tolmerus]
Fig. 45: Machimus chrysitis: Ovipositor lateral   Fig. 46: Machimus chrysitis: Ovipositor lateral

 

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