Laphria virginica (Banks)

Dennis, D. Steve, Barnes, Jeffrey K. & Knutson, Lloyd, 2008, Pupal cases of Nearctic robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1868 (1), pp. 1-98 : 32-33

Laphria virginica (Banks)

The description of the pupal case of Laphria virginica is based on a female case with associated adult from the United States National Museum labeled "Falls Church, Va.; Pinus ; 12988e Hopk. U.S.; C.T. Greene Collector; reared May 17­16; C.T. Greene" and a male with pinned adult from the United States National Museum labeled " E.F.C. Va.; April 18, 1919; reared by C.T.G.; T.E.S. Cole."

Description: Greatest length, including anterior antennal processes, ♂ 12.6 mm, ♀ 13.5 mm; greatest width of thorax, ♂ 3.4, ♀ 3.0 mm; greatest width of abdomen, ♂ 3.5 mm, ♀ 3.0 mm, tapering to ♂ 1.8 mm, ♀ 2.0 mm at greatest width of abdominal segment 8. Integument subshining golden brown; wing sheath, dorsum of head and thoracic area, and area adjacent to dorsal abdominal spines darker; spines and other processes glistening reddish brown, darker apically; bristle­like spines mostly uniformly reddish brown.

Head with pair of dorsally rounded, ventrally wedge­shaped, anterior antennal processes grooved on outer edge and not joined at base, and with group of 4 basally fused, posterior antennal processes curving and becoming shorter posteriorly; inner posterior process longer than and separated from outer posterior processes by slightly swollen area of heavily sclerotized cuticle; outer 2 posterior processes fused for greater distance than other posterior processes; outer or fourth posterior process with small basal spur. Facial area with pair of short, basally fused, median spines on each side of midline and longer spine posterolateral to outermost posterior antennal process. Labral, proboscial, and maxillary sheaths smooth and elongate. Labral sheath with posterior margin indistinct. Proboscial sheath with slight median furrow and minute median swelling posteriorly. Maxillary sheath extending about one­half length of proboscial sheath.

Anterior coxal sheath smooth, with anterior, median, longitudinal split. Prothoracic spiracle round, situated midlaterally on reddish­brown callosity at anterior margin of thorax. Anterior mesothoracic spines on each side of thorax above base of mid leg sheath consisting of inner or anterior pair of basally broad, posteriorly curved spines and outer or posterior short, narrow, straight spine widely separated from anterior pair. Posterior mesothoracic callosity slightly swollen, with short, broad, apically rounded, sclerotized posterior mesothoracic spine at base of wing sheath. Wing sheath smooth to slightly rugulose, with slight elongate grooves, lacking median or basal tubercles. Thoracic area above wing sheath mostly smooth. Apex of hind leg sheath reaching between middle and posterior margin of abdominal segment 3.

Abdominal spiracles round, reddish brown, almost flush with surface, situated along midline laterally.

Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal transverse row of 28 subequal, short, stout, straight spines; 3–4 dorso­ lateral bristle­like spines on each side; 5 alternately long and short bristle­like spines behind each spiracle; venter obscured by wing and leg sheaths.

Segments 2–3 similar to segment 1, but with 32 and 30 dorsal spines, respectively.

Segments 4–5 with dorsal transverse rows of 27 and 25 spines, respectively, in 2 peaks, 1 on each side of midline; spines becoming longer toward midline, but 2 median spines very short.

Segments 6–7 with dorsal transverse row of 10–12 spines; median 2–4 spines short; some others alternately long and short. Rows of dorsal bristle­like spines with median space becoming wider on posterior segments.

Segments 2–5 and 6–7 with 1–3 and 6–8 dorsolateral bristle­like spines, respectively; most spines long and subequal, some very short. Segments 2–7 with 2–6 lateral bristle­like spines behind each spiracle; some spines alternately short and long; bristle­like spines becoming longer toward venter; long bristle­like spines usually strongly curved.

Segment 2 with ventral rows of 8 bristle­like spines on each side of and extending under hind leg sheath. Segments 3–7 with median transverse rows of 16–26 ventral bristle­like spines; bristle­like spines becoming longer, thicker, fewer, and recurved on posterior segments; most bristle­like spines about same length, but some, including 2–4 median spines, very short.

Segments 8–9 curved ventrally. Segment 8 with 1 long and 0–2 short, dorsal spines on each side of dorsal midline; small reddish­brown spiracle at lateral midline; lacking dorsolateral, lateral, and ventral spines. Segment 9 with pair of minute dorsomedian swellings; pair of short, dorsal, posterolateral processes curved toward midline; and pair of larger, longer, basally slightly rugose, dorsally curved ventral posterolateral processes; venter smooth, lacking tubercles in female, pair of very large, posteriorly pointed, basally rugose tubercles present in males.