Black-tailed Laphria
Laphria flavicollis
This record describes Laphria flavicollis (species). Recorded family: Asilidae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
L. flavicollis and L. virginica are easy to confuse. The main gestalt things to look for are the hairiness of the black abdomen: very fuzzy in virginica , somewhat glossy in flavicollis . The golden hair on the top of the thorax looks more swept back and finely constructed in flavicollis , and the legs in virginica have a reddish brown tone to the fuzz in good light. --Herschel Raney, 4.v.2006 Laphria flavicollis has long, straw yellow hairs on the scutellum . L. virginica always shows shorter, black scutellar bristles.-BC
Wikipedia reference for Laphria flavicollis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laphria_flavicollis.
Classification
Habitat and Range
Habitat
e. US (VT-FL to NE-TX) & QC
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Laphria flavicollis Say 1824 Black-tailed Laphria: https://www.robberfliesoftheworld.com/NA_CommonNames.php
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Laphria flavicollis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Black-tailed Laphria (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Beatriz Moisset; Additional contributions by cotinis , john and jane balaban , Bbarnd , Ben Coulter , v belov , Chris Cohen
Frequently Asked Questions About Black-tailed Laphria
What is Black-tailed Laphria?
Black-tailed Laphria (Laphria flavicollis) is a species in the family Asilidae, within the order Diptera.
How do you identify Black-tailed Laphria?
L. flavicollis and L. virginica are easy to confuse. The main gestalt things to look for are the hairiness of the black abdomen: very fuzzy in virginica , somewhat glossy in flavicollis . The golden hair on the top of the thorax looks more swept back and finely constructed in flavicollis , and the legs in virginica have a reddish brown tone to the fuzz in good light. --Herschel Raney, 4.v.2006 Laphria flavicollis has long, straw yellow hairs on the scutellum . L. virginica always shows shorter, black scutellar bristles.-BC
Where is Black-tailed Laphria found?
Habitat: e. US (VT-FL to NE-TX) & QC