1923] Observations on the Feeding Habits of Robber Flies. 45 
McAtee and Banks in their paper on the Asilidae of the 
District of Columbia (Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 22. p, 
26) record P. brevipennis as feeding upon Anomala sp. This 
fly evidently has a predilection for this genus of beetles. 
Most of the prey from both species were taken from fe- 
males, as one would naturally expect to be the case in preda- 
cious insects, for they are larger and more powerful than the 
males and require more stored-up energy for the discharge of 
of their sexual functions. 
Summarized Table of Prey. 
Coleoptera 
3 Anomala lucicola Fab. 
Hymenoptera 
1 Formica fusca var? 
Diptera 
1 Sarcophaga sp? 
Hemiptera 
1 Zelus exsanguis Stal. 
