Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Robber Flies (Asilidae) » Laphriinae » Cerotainia » Cerotainia macrocera
Photo#1041853
Cerotainia sp. - Cerotainia macrocera - male
Copyright © 2015 Steve Scholnick

Cerotainia sp. - Cerotainia macrocera - Male
North Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
August 11, 2014
The elongated scape suggests that this is a Cerotainia robber fly. The absence of areas of white setae suggest that it C. macrocera rather than C. albipilosa. However, the genus page says there are 3 species of Cerotainia in North America but only 2 are pictured so confirmation/correction of this ID would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Steve Scholnick on 21 February, 2015 - 5:50pm
Last updated 22 February, 2015 - 10:45am

Moved
Moved from Robber Flies.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 22 February, 2015 - 10:44am login or register to post comments

 
additional info for genus page
Having Dr. Fisher's info about the actual number of Cerotainia species in North America on the genus page would be a useful addition. Thanks
… Steve Scholnick, 22 February, 2015 - 11:57am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 February, 2015 - 6:32pm login or register to post comments

 
Cerotainia macrocera.
I would call this Cerotainia macrocera (a male). This is the original (and possibly the only) species of Cerotainia described for the U.S.A. (by Thomas Say, in 1823). A 2nd potential sp., C. albipilosa Curran, was described in 1930, and it has much more white hair than this specimen. However, there is still no certainty as to whether this 'white-haired morph' is a distinct species or just a color variety. (In 85 years, no one has evidently studied this question and published any results...)

The possible 3rd Cerotainia in the USA is a fly, "Cerotainia atrata Jones," described from Nebraska in 1907. No one has ever reported on another specimen of this fly, and C. atrata is now termed to be an "unrecognized" sp.
… Eric Fisher, 22 February, 2015 - 10:40am login or register to post comments

 
i wonder then why so many pics still sit at the genus level...
… v belov, 28 July, 2017 - 12:38pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
Thanks for the ID of both Cerotainia photos and the additional info
… Steve Scholnick, 22 February, 2015 - 11:54am login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact