Proctacanthus milbertii (Macquart)

Lavigne, Robert J. & Dennis, Steve, 2019, Robber flies (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae) of Wyoming, USA with keys to genera and species, Zootaxa 4662 (1), pp. 1-126 : 58

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4662.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:366A1E81-946C-4ED4-8A65-C51151FE87CC
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5583793
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7708F17A-B81B-E525-63F1-FF0066F4FB52
treatment provided by	Plazi (2019-09-02 06:54:06, last updated 2024-11-29 14:45:14)
scientific name	Proctacanthus milbertii (Macquart)
status

Treatment

Proctacanthus milbertii (Macquart) View in CoL

Proctacanthus milbertii ( Macquart, 1838) View in CoL : 124.

Recognition characters: Brownish gray species; length 30–34 mm; mystax straw white; thorax brown pollinose with 3 brown pollinose stripes dorsally; scutellar setae white, bristles mostly black or mixed black and a few white; wings with brownish aspect; abdomen brownish gray pollinose, setae and bristles on first three abdominal segments partially black; legs brown, femora black anteriorly.

Distribution: FREMONT: near Lander, 1,524 –2,438 m (5,000 –8,000 ft), July 1895 ( RO-UK). PLATTE: Dwyer, 18 Aug. 1960, 11 Aug. 1961 ( RJL, REP); Glendo, 14 Aug. 1958 ( DRT), 18 Aug. 1959, 23 July 1960, 1–23 Aug. 1961, 17 Aug. 1962 ( RJL); Guernsey, 27 July–12 Aug. 1960, 27 July–31 Aug. 1961, 9 Aug. 9–13 Sept. 1962 ( RJL); Wheatland; 14 Aug.–2 Sept. ( SD, RJL); Lance Creek, 24 Aug, 1895 (?- FDA); 16 km W of Wheatland, 6 July–7 Sept. 1964 ( FRH, RJL); 2 Sept. 1965 ( RJL). Recorded from Wyoming by: Dennis & Lavigne (1975) (as Proctacanthus micans ); Fisher & Wilcox (1997) [entire United States, except absent Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and northeastern states (Maryland northward)]; Geller-Grimm (2018); Lavigne et al. (1994).

Habitat: Sagebrush steppe shrub and grassland and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass grassland vegetation types. Open rangeland, short, mid-grass plains area; shows decided preference for downy cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) areas in shallow valleys.

Ethology: Rests on and forages from soil, prickly pear cactus, tall weeds and cheat grass (see Dennis & Lavigne 1975 as Proctacanthus micans ).

Prey: DIPTERA : Asilidae : Efferia bicaudata (Hine) , Guernsey, 16 Aug. 1961 (two records), Guernsey, 15 Aug. 1962, Wheatland, 7 Sept. 1964; Ospriocerus latipennis (Loew) , Dwyer, 20 Aug. 1959. HYMENOPTERA , Bombidae : Bombus sp. (three records). ORTHOPTERA , Acrididae : Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fab.) Wheatland , 18 Aug. 1964. COLEOPTERA , DIPTERA , HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera) , HYMENOPTERA , LEPIDOPTERA , NEUROPTERA, ORTHOPTERA (see Dennis & Lavigne 1975 as Proctacanthus micans ; Lavigne & Pfadt 1966; Lavigne et al. 1994).

References

Fisher, E. M. & Wilcox, J. (1997) Catalog of the robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of the Nearctic Region. California Department of Food & Agriculture, Sacramento, 56 pp. [unpublished]

Geller-Grimm, F. (2018) Robber flies (Asilidae), database, catalog of species. Available from: http: / www. geller-grimm. de / catalog / species. htm (accessed 23 March 2018)

Lavigne, R. J. & Pfadt, R. E. (1966) Parasites and predators of Wyoming rangeland grasshoppers. University Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Science Monograph, 3, 1 - 31.

Lavigne, R. J. & Dennis, D. S. (1975) Ethology of Efferia frewingi (Diptera: Asilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 68, 992 - 996. https: // doi. org / 10.1093 / aesa / 68.6.992

Macquart, P. J. M. (1838) Dipteres Exotiques Nouveaux ou peu connus. Memoires de la Societe royale des Sciences, de l'Agriculture et des Arts de Lille, 1, 14 - 156. [Asilidae] https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 51482