Machimus formosus (Hine)

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 : 46-47

Machimus formosus (Hine)

Asilus formosus Hine, 1918: 321 .

Recognition characters: Brownish yellow species, length 12–20 mm; mystax white; thorax brown pollinose, setae short and black, setae black; wings clear hyaline; scutellar bristles 2, black or brownish white; legs light brown with gray areas on front of femora.

Distribution: ALBANY: 24 km E of Centennial, 19 July 1960 ( RJL); Laramie, 1.6 km E, 9 July 1974 ( SD); West Laramie, 26 July 1960 ( RJL); BIG HORN: Greybull Airport, 14 June 1966 ( RJL) (specimen in CAS), 16 June 1966 ( RJL); Lovell, WANG, LTA, 2001a. LARAMIE: Pine Bluffs, 19 July 1963 ( LJS). PLATTE: Dwyer, 5 July 1961 ( RJL); Glendo, 5 July 1961, 27 July 1962 ( RJL); Guernsey, 6 July–4 Aug. 1961 ( RJL), 2 Aug. 1961 ( RJL) (specimen in CAS), 20 July–10 Aug. 1962 ( RJL); 11 km W of Guernsey, 12 Aug. 1960 ( RJL); Wheatland, Ruby Ranch, 7 Aug. 1964 ( RJL). Recorded from Wyoming by: Dennis & Lavigne (1979); Geller-Grimm (2018); Lavigne (1968) (as Asilus formosus ); Martin (1975); Schreiber & Lavigne (1986) (as Asilus formosus ).

Habitat: Saltbrush-greasewood shrub, wheatgrass-needlegrass- shrub steppe shrub and grassland, and gramabuffalo grass and wheatgrass-needlegrass grassland vegetation types. Open range, short-grass plains at elevations from 1,310 –2,377 m (4,300 –7,800 ft); rangeland (Lavigne 1968).

Ethology: Adults are found resting and foraging from the ground within or at the entrances of rodent burrows (see Lavigne 1968; Schreiber & Lavigne 1986, both as Asilus formosus ).

Prey: DIPTERA , Sarcophagidae : Senotainia rubriventris Macquart , Guernsey, 26 July 1962. DIPTERA , HE- MIPTERA (as Homoptera) (see Lavigne 1968; Rogers & Lavigne 1972; Schreiber and Lavigne 1986, all as Asilus formosus ).