Laphria mitsukurri Coquillett

Young, Charles L. & Hradský, Milan M., 2007, Robber flies of South Korea III. South Korean species of the Subfamily Laphriinae Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1388, pp. 1-23 : 17-18

Laphria mitsukurri Coquillett

( Figs 30, 31 , 53, 54 )

Laphria mitsukurri Coquillett, 1898: 316 .

Medium to large, 13–26 mm, black and red flies. Bumble bee like in appearance. The body hair is long, with the black abdominal color contrasting with the red apical tergites. There exists a great degree of variation within the species (as with L. rufa , a very closely related species) in regards to coloration and size (see “Discussion” below).

Redescription. Head: Face shiny black integument, gold pollen and yellow hair. Mystax dense, yellow intermingled with a few longer, black hairs. Short, sparse yellow parafacial hair. Orbital hair short, black. Proboscis flattened laterally, apex slightly truncated (wider at apex than middle) or angulated. Postocular hair black, sparse, long. Ocellar tubercle with long fine black bristles. Antenna black with black hair; relative lengths of segments: 3>1>2; postpedicel (segment 3) with an apical pit. Thorax: Scutum pale blue/black, covered in short black hair. Postpronotal hair black. Chaetotaxy with notopleural, supraalar and postalar surfaces covered in dense black hair and bristles. Long, black abundant dorsocentral hair. Discal scutellar hair black, sparse. Scutellar margin widely lipped and ringed with long black bristles with twisted apices. Lateral aspect of thorax black with black hair. Anterior anepisternum with sparse long hair, posterior with long bristles and hair. Katatergal bristles black, dense, with twisted apices. Legs: Entirely black with long, abundant black hair and bristles. Wings: Tinged yellow surrounding veins. Abdomen: Shiny blue/black. Tergites 1–3 blue/black with short black medial hair and longer black lateral hair. Tergite 4 with bright orange marginal hair. Tergites 5 and 6 covered completely in long mats of bright orange hair (the color of this hair varies from pale yellow to bright red). Male genitalia: Mesal process sigmoid (S­shaped) with dorsal thorns ( Fig. 31 ). Female: Similar to males. Abdomen clavate.

Material examined. Kang­won­Do Province: 2ɗ, 2Ψ: 8/VI/2003 – 24/VI/2006, Odaesan N. P., Chinbu­ Myon 660– 900m., 37°44’57”N, 128°34’19”E; 1ɗ, 3Ψ: 12/VI/2004, Ch’unch’on­Shi Namsan­Myon, Kangch’on, Hongchon River (east), 37°42’40”N, 127°35’26”E.

Kyongsangnam­Do Province: 1ɗ: 5–15/VIII/2003, Macheon Chirisan Mt. 705m., 35°20’55”N, 127°38’21”E; 1Ψ: Same data except: 15–25/VIII/2002.

Field notes. L mitsukurri frequents clearings in pine and hardwood forests. Dead wood is a common factor in L. mitsukurri and L. rufa habitats as the females oviposit in decaying wood. Piles of logs in northern South Korea, both pine and hardwood were productive collecting areas.

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 32. Laphria — male genitalia. 29. L. hakiensis, lateral. 30. L. mitsukurri, lateral. 31. L. mitsukurri, gonopod. 32. L. rufa, gonopod.

FIGURES 51 – 56. 51. Laphria hakiensis, ♂ dorsal. 52. Laphria hakiensis, ♂ lateral. 53. Laphria mitsukurri, Ψ dorsal. 54. Laphria mitsukurri, Ψ lateral. 55. Laphria rufa, Ψ dorsal. 56. Laphria rufa, Ψ lateral.