Cyrtopogon plausor Osten-Sacken, 1877

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 : 71-72

Cyrtopogon plausor Osten-Sacken

Cyrtopogon plausor Osten-Sacken, 1877: 297 .

Recognition characters: Blackish species; length 14–16 mm; third antennal segment black; mystax yellowish white with a few black bristles below; thorax yellowish brown pollinose with three darker stripes dorsally; wings slightly tinged with brown; macrotrichia of costal vein black; scutellar setae black; abdomen shining black, gray pollinose fasciae interrupted on all tergites; lateral setae on abdominal segments 1–4 yellowish white; legs, femora black, tibiae reddish brown ringed with black at apex, fore tarsi of males with fringe of dense silvery white setae not parted in middle.

Distribution: ALBANY: 16 km E of Laramie, elevation 2,438 m (8,000 ft), 24 June 1961 ( RHP, EMP) (three specimens in CAS); 29 m SE of Laramie, elevation 2,438 m, 26 June 1961 ( RHP) (three specimens in CAS); 40 km E of Laramie, 2 June 1965 ( MGH); Pole Mtn., 17 June–2 July 1964 ( FRH, RJL), 22–28 June 1965 ( FRH, RJL); Snowy Range Mtns., 15 Aug. 1938 ( MTJ, CSU); University of Wyoming campus, Laramie, Aug. 1938 ( BP-CSU). LARAMIE: Pine Bluffs, 26 June 1967 ( RJL). PLATTE: Dwyer, 1 May 1960 ( RJL); Glendo, 1 May 1960 ( RJL); WAHSAKIE: Tensleep, 2 June 1961 ( RJL). Recorded from Wyoming by: Fisher & Wilcox (1997); Geller-Grimm (2018).

Habitat: Wind sheltered gullies and intermittent streambeds in douglas fir forest and pine-douglas fir forest; wheatgrass-needlegrass shrub steppe shrub and grassland, and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass and grama-buffalo grassland vegetation types.

Ethology: Rests on and forages from rocks and fallen logs in sun.

Prey: HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera) , 28 June 1961 ( ECVD) (specimen in CAS).