Pogonioefferia frewingi (Wilcox)

Lavigne, Robert J. & Dennis, Steve, 2019, Robber flies (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae) of Wyoming, USA with keys to genera and species, Zootaxa 4662 (1), pp. 1-126 : 40

Pogonioefferia frewingi (Wilcox)

Efferia frewingi Wilcox, 1966b: 169 .

Recognition characters: Grayish black species; length 14–21 mm; mystax with black bristles intermixed with white setae; bristles and setae of mesonotum mostly black, postpronotal setae white anteriorly, black posteriorly, supraalar setae white; meral bristles white; scutellar setae mixed white and black, marginal bristles black in males; abdominal segments 2–5 black setae dorsocentrally, segments 6 and 7 silvery white pollinose; legs black except fore- and mid-tibiae with basal anterior half brown. Can be differentiated from both P. helenae and P. bicaudata by the position of the discal crossvein which is opposite the forking of the third longitudinal vein in P. frewingi as well as by the structure of the male basistyle in which the arms are of equal length in P. frewingi .

Distribution: ALBANY: Chimney Rock 24 km SW of Laramie, 8 Oct. 1964 ( RJL); Laramie, 10 Aug. 1964 ( PG); Laramie, numerous records, 25 Aug.–14 Sept. 1973 (SD); Pole Mtn., 6 Sept. 1971 (SD). BIG HORN: 11 km from junction of Rte. 120 and local road to Burlington, 22 Aug. 1963 ( RJL, LJS); Greybull, 7 Sept. 1963 ( RJL), 6–9 Sept. 1965 ( RJL). CARBON: Baggs, 2 Sept. 1959 ( WDF, DGF); Rawlins, 25 Aug. 1971 ( RJL); Savery, 2 Sept. 1963 ( WDF). FREMONT: 16 km S of Shoshoni, numerous records, 16 July–4 Oct. ( RJL, KJS); Gas Hills Rd., Riverton, 18 Sept. 1962 ( RJL); Shoshoni, 31 Aug. 1974 (SD), 9 Sept. 1963 ( RJL), 6 Sept. 1967 ( RJL). HOT SPRINGS: Dutch Nick Flats, Big Horn Basin, 19 Sept. 1962 ( RJL). LINCOLN: Opal, 20 Aug. 1963 ( RJL, LJS). PARK: N Fork of Shoshone River, Rte. 14 and 20 crossing, 21 Aug. 1963 ( RJL, LJS). PLATTE: Chugwater, 30 Aug. 1954 ( WDF). TETON: Grand Teton Nat. Pk., Chapel of Transfiguration, 21 Aug. 1963 ( RJL, LJS), Grand Teton National Park, 10 Aug. 1971 ( RJL), Jenny Lake, 21 Aug. 1963 ( RJL, LJS), Teton Overlook, 14 Aug. 1964 ( RJL, FRH); Jackson, 8 Aug. 1964 ( RJL), 14Aug. 1964 ( FRH). Recorded from Wyoming by: Dennis & Lavigne (1975) (as Efferia frewingi ), (1976b) (pupal case; as Efferia frewingi ), (2007) (as Efferia frewingi ); Dennis et al. (2008) (pupal case; as Eff eria frewingi), (2009, 2010) (as Efferia frewingi ); Geller-Grimm (2018); Lavigne (1992) (as Efferia frewingi ); Lavigne & Dennis (1975) (as Efferia frewingi ), (1994; as Efferia frewingi ); Lavigne et al. (1980) (as Efferia frewingi ).

Habitat: Saltbrush-greasewood shrub, sagebrush steppe and wheatgrass-needlegrass shrub steppe shrub and grassland, and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass vegetation types. Open rangeland, big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), blue grama grass ( Bouteloua gracilis (Wild. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths ) communities.

Ethology: Rests on and forages from soil and grasses [see Lavigne & Dennis 1975; Lavigne et al. 1980 (multiple mating), both as Efferia frewingi ].

Prey: COLEOPTERA , DIPTERA , HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera, Homoptera) , HYMENOPTERA , LEPIDOP- TERA, NEUROPTERA, ORTHOPTERA (see Dennis & Lavigne 2007; Dennis et al. 2009, 2010; Lavigne 1992; Lavigne & Dennis 1975, 1994, all as Efferia frewingi ).