Choerades marginata

Choerades marginata is a species of robber fly (Asilidae: Laphriinae) found in Europe.[2]

Choerades marginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Asilidae
Genus: Choerades
Species:
C. marginata
Binomial name
Choerades marginata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[1]

Asilus marginatus Linnaeus, 1758

Distribution and habitat

This species is present in most of Europe (Albania, Austria, Belgium, British Islands, European Russia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and former Yugoslavia).[3] These robber flies mainly inhabit spruce and beech forest and hedge rows. [4]

Description

Choerades marginata can reach a body length of about 9–15 mm (0.35–0.59 in) and a wings length of 6.5–8 mm (0.26–0.31 in).[4] In males the first antennal segment is about 1.8 - 2.1 times as long as the second one, while in female is 3 times longer. The sides of thorax (pleura) and the humeral callus are distinctly tomentose and scutum has only few, normal hairs. The lateral sclerites (mesopleuron) have a greyish-brown tomentum, with sparse yellow and black hairs all over. Tergites and legs are entirely black. In males the face usually shows yellow hairs above the facial gibbosity, tergites have yellow hair at the sides and the last tergite has a straight, hind margin.[5][6]

Biology

Adults can be found from May to September. They prey on other flies.[4]

References
  1. "Choerades marginata (Linnaeus, 1758)". inpn.mnhn.fr. Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  2. Londt, Jason G. H. (June 2015). "Taxonomic Observations Regarding Four Genera of Afrotropical Robber Flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the Description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae)". African Invertebrates. 56 (1): 191–228. doi:10.5733/afin.056.0115.
  3. Fauna europaea
  4. J.K. Lindsey Ecology of Commanster
  5. Fritz Geller-Grimm Robber flies of Germany - Identification key to the Choerades-species
  6. Fritz Geller-Grimm & M. J. Smart Provisional key to the Central European species of the genus Choerades Walker
  • Joachim Haupt, Hiroko Haupt: Fliegen und Mücken. Beobachtung, Lebensweise. 1.. Auflage. Naturbuch-Verlag, Jena und Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-89440-278-4.
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