Laphria flavicollis Say, 1824

Dennis, D. Steve, Barnes, Jeffrey K. & Knutson, Lloyd, 2008, Pupal cases of Nearctic robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1868 (1), pp. 1-98 : 24-25

Laphria flavicollis Say

The following description is based on two male pupal cases from the United States National Museum. One case with pinned adult is labeled " Charter Oak, Pa.; Alnus ; 12963 Hopk. U.S.; reared May 19/15; C. T. Greene; F.C. Craighead Collector. " The other case lacks an associated adult and it is labeled " Chautauqua Co., NY; Jul. 6, 1934; chestnut stump; S.W. Bromley Collection 1955."

Description: Greatest length, including anterior antennal processes, 12.5–13.0 mm; greatest width of thorax 3.0 mm; greatest width of abdomen 3.0 mm, tapering to 2.0 mm at greatest width of abdominal segment 8. Integument subshining golden brown; wing sheath, head, and thoracic area sometimes slightly darker; spines and other processes glistening reddish brown, darker apically; bristle­like spines uniformly yellowish to reddish brown.

Head with pair of dorsally rounded to flattened, ventrally wedge­shaped anterior antennal processes not joined at base and group of 4 basally fused posterior antennal processes curving and becoming shorter posteriorly; inner or first posterior process longer than and separated from outer or other posterior processes by flat to slightly swollen area of heavily sclerotized cuticle; outer 2 posterior processes fused for greater distance than other processes. Facial area with 2–3 short, basally fused, median spines and single, longer spine posterolateral to outermost posterior antennal process. Labral, proboscial, and maxillary sheaths smooth and elongate; proboscial sheath with slight median furrow and median posterior swelling; maxillary sheath extending about two­thirds length of proboscial sheath.

Anterior coxal sheath smooth, with anterior, median, longitudinal split. Prothoracic spiracle round, situated midlaterally on small, reddish­brown callosity at anterior margin of thorax. Anterior mesothoracic spines on each side of thorax above base of mid leg sheath consisting of anterior pair of basally broad and fused, posteriorly curved spines, and single narrow, straight, posterior spine widely separated from anterior pair. Slight posterior mesothoracic callosity at base of wing sheath with short, broad, apically rounded, sclerotized posterior mesothoracic spine. Wing sheath smooth to irregularly rugulose, sometimes with elongate grooves; median and/or basal tubercles absent. Thoracic area above wing sheath smooth to slightly rugulose. Apex of hind leg sheath reaching between middle and posterior margin of abdominal segment 3.

Abdominal spiracles round, light yellowish to reddish brown, on slight swelling, situated along midline laterally. Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal transverse row of 26–30 short, stout spines; median pair of spines longer, sometimes with 3­4 short spines between longer spines; abdominal segment 1 with 2–4 short to medium length, dorsolateral, bristle­like spines on each side and 6–7 lateral, bristle­like spines behind each spiracle; venter obscured by wing and leg sheaths.

Segments 4–5 and to lesser extent segments 2–3 with dorsal spines forming row with 2 peaks, 1 peak on each side of midline, 1–3 long spines at peaks pointing anteriorly. Segments 2–7 with dorsal, transverse rows of 25–32, 21–26, 20–23, 17–22, 6–8, and 6–8 spines, respectively; segments 2–5 often with long spines alternating with 1–3 short spines. Segments 6–7 similar or with mostly long spines, often with pair of short median spines farther apart than on other segments. Segments 2–7 with 2–5 (usually 3–4) dorsolateral bristle­like spines on each side and 3–7 lateral bristle­like spines behind each abdominal spiracle; lateral bristle­like spines toward venter longer than other bristle­like spines; more lateral spines generally longer posteriorly. Abdominal segment 2 with 5–6 ventral bristle­like spines on each side of and extending under hind leg sheath; segments 3–7 with median row of 18–22 ventral bristle­like spines that become longer and thicker posteriorly; median pair of ventral bristle­like spines usually very short; segments 3–4 with wider median space than posterior segments.

Segments 8–9 curved downward; segment 8 with 1 large dorsal spine, small spiracle, and 1–2 short dorsolateral spines on each side of midline; lateral and ventral spines and/or spurs absent. Segment 9 with pair of very small dorsomedian tubercles; pair of short, dorsal posterolateral processes curved toward midline; pair of larger, slightly longer, basally rugose, dorsally curved ventral posterolateral processes; and pair of very large, ventral, posteriorly curved, apically acute, basally approximate tubercles almost reaching ventral posterolateral processes.