LAPHRIINAE 



ROBBER FLIES OF THE WORLD 



321 



Text-Figure 21. — Laphria gibbosus Linnaeus. 



Genus Laphria Meigen 

 Fiqtjees 233, 607, 1211, 1215, 2079, 2084, 2135, 2162 



Lapria Meigen, Nouvelle classification . . ., p. 25, 40, 1800, 



lapsus. 

 Laphria Meigen, Mag. Insectenkunde, vol. 2, p. 270, 1803. 



Emendation. Type of genus : Asilus gibbosus Linne, 1758. 



Designated by Latreille, 1810, the first of six included 



species. 

 Rhopalocera Megerle (Ms.), in Meigen, Systematische Beschrei- 



bung der . . . zweifliigligen Insekten, vol. 2, p. 301, 1820. 



Name without species. 

 Sullaphria Becker (Ms.), in Hennig, 1941, with species asilina; 



both without characterization. 



Usually large and robust flies, never very slender; 

 characterized by the prominent and gibbous face. The 

 abundant pile is often matted and appressed, especially 

 on the abdomen. The proboscis is elongate, very 

 strongly compressed laterally, with bluntly rounded 

 apex and the palpus is cylindrical with only the basal 

 segment open. Except for a subapical pit or groove, 

 the third antennal segment is unmodified. The lower 

 end vein of the discal cell is long and nearly parallel 

 with the upper margin of the cell. Metanotal callosity 

 bare in the type of genus and in European species and 

 in many North American species. Length in the type 



of genus 27 mm.; more often 15 to 20 mm. in length 

 and in some species as little as 10 mm. 



Head, lateral aspect: The head is long; both face 

 and occiput are prominent. The face is especially 

 prominent and gibbous on the lower half or more, but 

 less on the upper third, and the intervening area is con- 

 cave. The occiput is tumid in the middle, and espe- 

 cially below, due to the gradual and pronounced 

 recession of the eye. Pile of occiput dense, long and 

 coarse, except behind the vertex, where there is com- 

 paratively little pile ; bristles are very weak or absent. 

 The proboscis is elongate, extending well beyond the 

 face, strongly compressed laterally, bluntly rounded 

 apex which is punctured and has numerous, stout, 

 bristly hairs which extend a short distance ventrally. 

 The base is a little swollen below with numerous, long, 

 bristly hairs. Palpus clearly of two segments ; the first 

 segment is excavated, the second is cylindrical, with 

 bristles and bristly pile on all sides. Antenna attached 

 at the upper fourth of the head, elongate but not as 

 long as the head ; the first segment is twice as long as 

 the second, with more or less erect, bristly pile above 

 and below and laterally ; the second segment has short 

 or sometimes long, stout, apically directed bristles. 

 The third segment is longer than the first two and is 



