Pegesimallus

Pegesimallus is a genus of robber flies.

Pegesimallus
Pegesimallus sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Asilidae
Subfamily:
Dasypogoninae
Tribe:
Megapodini
Genus:
Pegesimallus
Species

see text

Distribution

Africa and Eurasia.[1]

Biology

These species spend much of their time perched in the shade on shrubs or grass, where they lie in wait for flying insects. Their prey includes a wide variety of arthropods; Hymenoptera and Diptera predominate. Females oviposit in the surface layer of the soil.[2][3]

  • Female with fly prey
    Female with fly prey
  • Mating pair; female with wasp prey
    Mating pair; female with wasp prey
  • Mating pair
    Mating pair

Taxonomy

The classification of the species in this genus is difficult for two main reasons: Firstly, many are sexually dimorphic to the extent that females and males of the same species were, for some time, placed in different genera; and secondly, some of the species are so similar that they can only be separated by considering details of the male genitalia.[2]

The genus has been placed in the tribe Megapodini of the subfamily Dasypogoninae.[4] It contains about 54 species, including the following:[2][1]

  • Pegesimallus apicalis Bromley, 1947
  • Pegesimallus brunneus Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus bulbifrons Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus calvifrons Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus claelius Walker, 1849
  • Pegesimallus fusticulus Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus hermanni Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus irwini Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus isanicus Tomasovic, 2005
  • Pegesimallus kenyensis Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus mesasiatica Lehr, 1958
  • Pegesimallus namibiensis Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus oldroydi Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus saegeri Oldroyd, 1970
  • Pegesimallus srilankensis Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus vansoni Londt, 1980
  • Pegesimallus volcata Walker, 1849
  • Pegesimallus yerburyi Londt, 1980

References
  1. "Genus Pegesimallus (Loew, 1858), Taxonomy". insectoid.info. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  2. Londt, J.G. (1980). "Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 4. The genus Pegesimallus Loew, 1858 (= Lagodias Loew, 1858; Neolaparus Williston, 1889), including species from other zoogeographical regions and the descriptions of the two new genera, Brevirostrum and Caroncoma". Annals of the Natal Museum. 24 (1): 233–347. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  3. Londt, J.G. (1994). "Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 26. Ethological observations, and a possible ecological classification based on habitats". Annals of the Natal Museum. 35 (1): 97–122.
  4. "Asilidae generic classification sensu Dikow 2009 | Asiloid Flies". asiloidflies.si.edu. Retrieved 28 January 2017.


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