''Choerades marginata'' is a species of
robber fly
The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive pre ...
(
Asilidae:
Laphriinae) found in Europe.
Distribution and habitat
This species is present in most of Europe (Albania, Austria, Belgium, British Islands,
European Russia
European Russia (russian: Европейская Россия, russian: европейская часть России, label=none) is the western and most populated part of Russia. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the cou ...
, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and former
Yugoslavia). These robber flies mainly inhabit spruce and beech forest and hedge rows.
[
]
Description
''Choerades marginata'' can reach a body length of about and a wings length of .[J.K. Lindse]
Ecology of Commanster
/ref> In males the first antennal segment is about 1.8 - 2.1 times as long as the second one, while in female is 3 times longer. The sides of thorax ( pleura) and the humeral callus are distinctly tomentose and scutum has only few, normal hairs. The lateral sclerites ( mesopleuron) have a greyish-brown tomentum, with sparse yellow and black hairs all over. Tergites and legs are entirely black. In males the face usually shows yellow hairs above the facial gibbosity, tergites have yellow hair at the sides and the last tergite has a straight, hind margin.[Fritz Geller-Grimm & M. J. Smar]
Provisional key to the Central European species of the genus ''Choerades'' Walker
Biology
Adults can be found from May to September. They prey on other flies.[
]
References
*Joachim Haupt, Hiroko Haupt: Fliegen und Mücken. Beobachtung, Lebensweise. 1.. Auflage. Naturbuch-Verlag, Jena und Stuttgart 1995, .
External links
Images representing ''Choerades marginatus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10747535
Laphriinae
Asilomorph flies of Europe
Flies described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus