Pogonioefferia staminea (Williston)

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 : 43-44

Pogonioefferia staminea (Williston)

Erax stamineus Williston, 1885: 68 .

Recognition characters: Brownish gray and silver species; length 11–24 mm; mystax yellow to yellowish white; bristles and setae of mesonotum mostly black except supraalar setae white; postpronotal setae of male black, of female, partly white; meral bristles straw white; scutellar setae and bristles black males, white on females; in males abdominal tergites 3–7 and occasionally 2 apically silvery white pollinose, long white setae parted in middle and directed outward on tergites 3–6; lower arm of basistyle in males 3 times the length of upper arm and curved downward; legs with pale yellow setae femora black, tibiae variable (black to reddish). See P. rapax .

Distribution: ALBANY: Laramie, 17 Aug. 1964 ( RJL); E flank of Laramie Peak, Laramie Mtns., 17 July 1964 ( RJL, FRH). CONVERSE: Douglas, 11 July 1961 ( RJL). FREMONT: Lander, WANG, LTA, 29 June 2004 ( CSU, GMAD), 2 July 2005 ( CSU, GMAD), 8 Aug. 2004 ( CSU, GMAD). PLATTE: Camp Guernsey, WANG, 2001b ( CSU, GMAD); Chugwater, 23 July 1952 ( REP). Dwyer, numerous records, 22 June–3Aug. ( RJL); Gray Rocks Ranch, Camp Guernsey, 14–22 July 2008 ( CSU, GMAD); Guernsey, numerous records, 22 June–22 Aug. ( RJL); Guernsey State Park, 16 July 1964 ( RJL); Register Cliff, 1,981 km (6,500 ft), E of Guernsey, 15 July 1964 ( FRH); Hartville, 19 June–17 July 1963, 9 June–9 July 1964 ( RJL). GOSHEN: Smith Ranch, Lingle, 20 June–2 July 1963 ( RJL), 20 June–15 July 1964 ( RPB, RJL, FRH). HOT SPRINGS: Owl Creek Mtns., 1,615 m (5,300 ft), 25 June 1961 ( RJL). LARAMIE: Pine Bluffs, 19 July 1963 ( LJS). PLATTE: Wheatland, 22 July 1965 ( RJL); Wheatland Cutoff, 8 July 1962 ( RJL); Cherry Creek, SE of Wheatland, 7–13 July 1966 ( RJL); Pin Top Trail, 11 July 1981 ( REP). Recorded from Wyoming by: Brown (1929) (as Erax stamineus ); Cole (1969) (as Efferia staminea ); Dennis & Lavigne (1975) (as Efferia staminea ; as prey of Ospriocerus latipennis , Stenopogon inquinatus ); Dennis et al. (2010) (as Efferia staminea ); Fisher & Wilcox (1997) (as Efferia staminea ); Geller-Grimm (2018); Hine 1919) (as Erax stamineus ); Lavigne (1964) (as Efferia staminea ; prey of Pogonioefferia helenae (as Efferia bicaudata ); Lavigne & Holland [(1969) (as Efferia staminea ; as prey of Pogonioefferia pallidula (as Efferia pallidula )]; Martin & Wilcox (1965) (as Efferia staminea ); Wilcox (1966b) (as Efferia staminea ).

Habitat: Pine-douglas fir forest (clearings within the forest where shrubs and grasses are dominant), sagebrush steppe and wheatgrass-needlegrass shrub steppe shrub and grassland, and grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass and grama-buffalo grass grassland vegetation types. Open rangeland, blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis ) and threadleaf sedge ( Carex filifolia ) communities.

Ethology: Rests on and forages from soil, grass mat, and other vegetation (see Lavigne & Holland 1969 as Efferia staminea ).

Prey: HYMENOPTERA , wild bee predator, Glendo Study A, 10 July 1968 ( REP). COLEOPTERA , DIPTERA , HEMIPTERA (Heteroptera, Homoptera) , HYMENOPTERA , LEPIDOPTERA , NEUROPTERA, ODONATA, OR- THOPTERA (see Dennis et al. 2010; Lavigne & Holland 1969; Lavigne & Pfadt 1966; Lavigne et al. 1968; Rogers & Lavigne 1972, all as Efferia staminea ).