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Photo#391576
Large robber fly - Neomochtherus comosus - female

Large robber fly - Neomochtherus comosus - Female
Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes, Marin County, California, USA
May 1, 2010
Size: 17 mm body length

Images of this individual: tag all
Large robber fly - Neomochtherus comosus Large robber fly - Neomochtherus comosus - female

Moved
Moved from Asilinae.

Neomochtherus comosus, female
Neomochtherus comosus, female; a new BugGuide record Natalie! A California endemic -- found along Pacific coast, from Santa Barbara Co. north to Sonoma Co.

Eric

 
Why new combination?
Dr. Fisher,
I don't know if you'll ever see this, but I'm interested in why you believe this species should now be called a Neomochtherus. My concept for that genus is very different from this individual: the other "Neomochtherini" I've seen usually have a small face knob, no presutural dc bristles (in fact, they're mostly bare on the scutum), an extended ovipositor, a very long antennal stylus, and primarily yellow/red legs (plus epandrium/aedeagus features irrelevant to this poor pinned female). Hine (1918) thought that if anything, this species was related to Antipalus, and Martin (1975) couldn't place it in anything. Admittedly, I've never seen a specimen myself other than this picture; so is there something about the male that led you to classify it under Neomochtherus?

 
I'm just now seeing this - so
I'm just now seeing this - sorry for the delay. This sp., along with other western U.S. spp. like 'Asilus' californicus Hine and several Neomochtherus described by Martin in 1975, all belong in a new genus that is still undescribed. These spp. are thus 'patiently waiting' in Neomochtherus until the day the new genus appears (some could have been left in 'Asilus' but Martin had already placed others in Neomochtherus; unfortunately he did not recognize californicus Hine, so some of his 1975 spp. are synonyms of this common western sp.).

 
Awesome
Thanks for the info! I wonder why no one has posted photos of them on here before... They seemed to be quite abundant in the area.

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