Choerades

Choerades is a genus of robber flies described by Francis Walker in 1851, belonging to the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae.

Choerades
Choerades marginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Asilidae
Subfamily: Laphriinae
Genus: Choerades
Walker, 1851

Description

Genus Choerades is closely related to the genera Laphria and Bombomima. They can mainly be distinguished by genitalic differences in males, as the shape of the upper forceps or the evolution of lamellae from the fusion of bristles, but also for the length of hairs and bristles on the facial gibbosity. The adults' average sizes reach 10–20 millimetres (0.4–0.8 in). These robber flies are quite hairy, their body is usually black, while the bee-mimicking abdomen shows black and yellow stripes. They generally prey on insects of a variety of species, including flies, bees, wasps and beetles.

Distribution

The species of this genus are distributed in most of Europe, the Eastern Palearctic realm, the Near East, and the Nearctic realm.

Species
Choerades sp. preys a ladybug
  • Choerades castellanii (Hradský, 1962)
  • Choerades dioctriaeformis (Meigen, 1820)
  • Choerades femorata (Meigen, 1804)
  • Choerades fimbriata (Meigen, 1820)
  • Choerades fortunata Baez & Weinberg, 1981
  • Choerades fuliginosa (Panzer, 1798)
  • Choerades fulva (Meigen, 1804)
  • Choerades gilva (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Choerades ignea (Meigen, 1820)
  • Choerades lapponica (Zetterstedt, 1838)
  • Choerades loewi (Lehr, 1992)
  • Choerades marginata (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Choerades mouchai Hradský, 1985
  • Choerades rufipes (Fallén, 1814)
  • Choerades venatrix (Loew, 1847)

References
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