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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Robber Flies (Asilidae) » Stenopogoninae » Stenopogon » Stenopogon californiae
Photo#418657
ID for a reddish Robber Fly? - Stenopogon californiae - male
Copyright © 2010 nvhamlett@gmail.com

ID for a reddish Robber Fly? - Stenopogon californiae - Male
Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 26, 2010
This Robber Fly is one of two seen on a Spiny Redberry (Rhamnus crocea) at the Claremont Colleges' Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station. Unfortunately, when I spotted them I was getting ready to leave and my macro lens was in the car, so the photos aren't as close-up and sharp as would be ideal. My colleagues suggested that these were Stenopogon sp. We have recently spotted Stenopogon californiae at the field station (http://bugguide.net/node/view/414217), and we were wondering if this is a color variant or a different species (or something else)?

I'm not sure whether these two photos are the same individual or the other fly:

Images of this individual: tag all
ID for a reddish Robber Fly? - Stenopogon californiae - male ID for a reddish Robber Fly? - Stenopogon californiae - male
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Contributed by nvhamlett@gmail.com on 29 June, 2010 - 1:12pm
Last updated 30 June, 2010 - 12:42pm

Moved
Moved from Robber Flies.
… Hartmut Wisch, 30 June, 2010 - 12:03pm login or register to post comments

Nancy: yes, this is the male
Nancy: yes, this is the male of Stenopogon californiae. Your fly of last week, 414217, has darker than typical coloration on the abdomen (usually with much more red above). Males of this species have the base of the wings whitish (true for many Calif. Stenopogon).
… Eric Fisher, 30 June, 2010 - 10:32am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, Eric!
Thanks for the ID! It's really helpful to learn about the range of variation in color and other traits within a species. This species must be common at the field station right now, since I've photographed 3 individuals in the last two visits.
… nvhamlett@gmail.com, 1 July, 2010 - 12:46pm login or register to post comments

 
Fantastic, and thanks, Eric!
This is more than I thought possible, but your experience helps!
… Hartmut Wisch, 30 June, 2010 - 12:02pm login or register to post comments

Curious to see what
Eric Fisher will have to say about this male. I still think its a male Stenopogon, very similar to one I found in the Santa Susanas:

whatever that one may be.
… Hartmut Wisch, 29 June, 2010 - 5:18pm login or register to post comments

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