SOME NEW SPECIES OF ROBBER FLIES 
(DIPTERA: ASILIDAE) 
By Frank M. Hull 
University of Mississippi 
Recent studies of Diptera have brought to light several 
undescribed species of Asilidae, which are here described. 
Laphystia torpida, new species 
A stout species of medium size. The abdominal pattern 
is superficially like that of Laphystia annulata, new species, 
but the femora and tibiae are chiefly black. Length 10 mm. 
Female. Head : The head is black, the face is covered 
with dense, pale, yellowish grey, nearly white, fine micro- 
pubescence. Similar cover is found on the front, vertex 
and upper occiput. The pollen of the lower occiput is more 
nearly white and its pile fine, rather dense and whitish. 
There is a cluster of 6 or 7 weak, yellowish white bristles 
on the upper fourth of the occiput on each side. The low 
but wide ocellarium bears numerous, erect, stiff, yellowish 
hairs which are confined chiefly to the side slopes. Proboscis 
and antenna black, the former not quite extended as far 
as the face and robust, obtuse, with medial ridge, slightly 
swollen base and scattered, long, yellowish white hairs at 
the base below and a rather dense tuft of similar hairs at 
the apex. The black of antenna is covered by a pale, yellow- 
ish grey or nearly white pubescence of microscopic charac- 
ter and the first segment bears a slender, whitish bristle 
and abundant, whitish pile. Thorax: The thorax is black, 
upper pleuron and the lateral mesonotum are densely 
covered with pale, brownish yellow pollen, becoming more 
greyish white ventrally on the pleuron. There is much 
coarse, yellowish white, long, stiffened hairs on the poste- 
rior half and upper border of the mesopleuron and the 
anterior sternopleuron, besides more scanty pile on the 
pteropleuron and posterior hypopleuron. There is a broad, 
vertical band of slender, long, bristly, pale hairs on the 
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