Leptogaster parvoclavus Martin, 1957

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 : 99

Leptogaster parvoclavus Martin

Leptogaster parvoclavus Martin, 1957: 371 .

Recognition characters: Grayish species; length 7–9 mm; mystax white; thorax gray pollinose laterally, brown pollinose dorsally with three distinctly darker brown stripes; scutellum gray pollinose lacking bristles, few white marginal setae present; wings more heavily stippled at apex than basally, veins brown; abdomen gray pollinose laterally, brown pollinose dorsally; legs primarily brown with posterior side of fore- and mid-tibiae yellow and basal half of hind femora yellow.

Distribution: ALBANY: 1.6 km E of Laramie, numerous records, 19 June–30 July ( RJL, SD); 17 July 1974 ( SD) (specimen in USNM); Rogers Canyon, 13 km NE of Laramie, 6 July 1981 ( RJL); JOHNSON: 6 July 1982 ( FAL). LARAMIE: High Plains Res. Sta., Cheyenne, 3 July 1979, sweeping barrow pit ( RJL). PLATTE: Guernsey, 8 Aug. 1962 ( RJL). SWEETWATER: 10 km W of Green River, 16 July 1980 ( RJL). Recorded from Wyoming by: Dennis & Lavigne (1975), (as prey of Dicropaltum mesae ); (1976a), (1979) (as prey of Machimus callidus ), (2007); Dennis et al. (2010); Geller-Grimm (2018).

Habitat: Sagebrush steppe and wheatgrass-needlegrass shrub steppe shrub and grassland, and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass and grama-buffalo grass grassland vegetation types. Short- to mid-grass grasslands; rangeland (see Dennis & Lavigne 1976b).

Ethology: Rests on and forages from vegetation 2.5– 20 cm above the ground (see Dennis & Lavigne 1976b).

Prey: ARANEAE, DIPTERA , HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera, Homoptera) , HYMENOPTERA , LEPIDOPTERA (see Dennis & Lavigne 1976 b, 2007; Dennis et al. 2010).