Ancylorhynchus cruciger (Loew 1858)

A striking Robber Fly with cross-mark on the thorax and dark-tipped wing. Antennae entirely orange. Mesonotum rufous-orange, with dark medial longitudinal stripe and dark somewhat triangular patches centrally anterior of transverse suture forming a cross-pattern. Scutellum orange with dark red-brown anteromedial part. Legs orange and brownish black. Wings yellowish microtrichose, distal and posterior parts brown (from about r–m and posterior of Cup). Abdomen predominantly blackish with small orange patches dorsally. T1 uniformly blackish, T2–4 blackish with orange posterior margins and large silver pruinose areas posterolaterally; T5–7 dark red-brown to black, uniformly silver-grey pruinose; T8–9 orange-brown.

Original description (reproduced) in:
Loew, H. 1860: Die Dipteren-Fauna Südafrikas.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35325#page/100/mode/1up

Redescription with illustration of wing in:
Londt, J. G. H. 2011, A review of Afrotropical Ancylorhynchus Berthold, 1827 (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 52 (2)
https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/html/03B75F77C637FFB0FE0ED8DEFDC2FB22
Key in full paper: https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC84700

Widely distributed in Southern, Central and East Africa.

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/199566237

Posted on February 18, 2024 04:35 PM by traianbertau