Bee-Like Robber Fly - Laphria cinerea

Lovely, likely Laphria cinerea

Well, this might be L. virginica (see guide page), which seems to be the one frequently seen up here in the lower Piedmont in spring and early summer. Any photos showing abdomen? L. virginica has an all-black abdomen. Doesn't look quite right, like you said, too much yellow hair on legs...

Aha! Check out L. cinerea on the Laphrini pages. Looks close. And Brimley, Insects of North Carolina, p. 338, (1) lists Bombomima cinerea from Slouthern Pines (type locality), Raleigh, etc., dates March-May. Bombomima species, I think, are now in Laphria, and yes, the type locality is listed as Southern Pines in the redescription of L. cinerea. That early date looks good for your sighting. I see L. virginica in late May-early June up here in Durham. Other Laphria/Bombomima listed by Brimley tend to have early summer dates. Looks pretty good! If you have another photo showing the abdomen better, that would be confirmatory, but I'm pretty satisfied.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 23 January, 2005 - 7:28pm

Worn specimen?

Remember, many very hairy insects tend to quite literally "go bald," and fade in color, as they age, getting into battles with predators, rival males, etc. So, it may be very difficult to get this particular specimen beyond genus.

… Eric R. Eaton, 24 January, 2005 - 1:43pm

Good point, a compromise

Good point. However this Laphria looks very distinctive, esp. the yellow hair on the legs and the early flight season. L. virginica, with which I'm familiar, is quite similar--all yellow beard, but has black hair on the legs and a later flight season--typically late May-June. I don't see any other close matches in the Laphrini pages, and I doubt the leg hair could have faded completely to yellow. I'm going to file it as Laphria cf. (compare) cinerea based on the Laprhini pages (see guide page for link) and phenology noted in Brimley. (1) Plus I do think it is suspicious that the type locality is in Southern Pines, which is about 20 miles from where Lynette took this photo. Cumberland County and Southern Pines are in the Carolina Sandhills, a real distinctive region biologically.

So what I'm doing is trying to place the photo as a plausible hypothesis. We know it is a Laphria, almost certainly not virginica and several others.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 31 January, 2005 - 3:40am

Laphria

This is Laphria cinerea. Love open pine and oak areas with fallen timber. Fast and agile. Have had several land on me before in May. Springtime species predominantly.

… Herschel Raney, 27 May, 2005 - 1:24pm

Sounds Good

I couldn't tell a thing from the photos at Laphrini pages and not good at reading descriptions and picturing the result. I am close to Southern Pines so it sounds good to me!

… Lynette Elliott, 23 January, 2005 - 7:40pm