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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Robber Flies (Asilidae) » Laphriinae » Bee-like Robber Flies (Laphria) » Laphria insignis
Photo#886809
Robber Fly Identification - Laphria insignis - male
Copyright © 2014 Lynn Murphy

Robber Fly Identification - Laphria insignis - Male
Baraga, Baraga County, Michigan, USA
July 12, 2013
This Robber Fly was using a very large tree that had been cut down a few years back as a hunting perch. I took
this photo at 4:00 p.m. The habitat has very large coniferous trees, but a fire had burned several of them so
they were cut down. There was a sandy trail alongside these trees plus a small wetland nearby. The location
is in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Superior.
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Lynn Murphy on 23 January, 2014 - 8:26pm
Last updated 15 February, 2014 - 6:57pm

Moved tentatively
Moved from Robber Flies.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 24 January, 2014 - 5:43pm login or register to post comments

Possibly a male
Laphria insignis, though I have never seen this species. Very few shots of it. Many of the Laphria prefer coniferous woodlands with lots of downed logs. And the females of these species often lay eggs in the old beetle tunnels and other bore holes in these downed trees. Males fight for good open perches near the female's preferred egglaying habitat.
… Herschel Raney, 24 January, 2014 - 7:18am login or register to post comments

 
Laphria insignis
Thank you Herschel. Many of the cut trees had the larvae of beetles
crunching the wood as they made their tunnels. It makes sense why
this robber fly was there. I'll be looking for them again this
summer. Lynn Murphy
… Lynn Murphy, 24 January, 2014 - 10:00am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Flies.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 23 January, 2014 - 8:39pm login or register to post comments

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