The following taxonomic list of Asilidae includes 109 species I have confirmed for Florida. This list is based on records from museums, especially the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, various publications, and iNaturalist and Bugguide records. The hypothetical list includes 18 species. Some of those are included in F. Geller-Grimm’s database, but I have not found museum or literature records. In some cases the literature records are questionable. The erroneous list includes 11 species that are sometimes erroneously included on Florida lists.
Phylogeny
The subfamilies listed below are outdated; I will revise based on a new revised taxonomy that is likely to be published next year. Recent phylogenic work includes:
Bybee, S. M., Taylor, S. D., Nelson, C. R., & Whiting, M. F. (2004). A phylogeny of robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) at the subfamilial level: molecular evidence. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 30(3), 789-797.
Cohen, C. M., Noble, K., Cole, T. J., & Brewer, M. S. (2021). The phylogeny of robber flies (Asilidae) inferred from ultraconserved elements. Systematic Entomology, 46(4), 812-826.
Dikow, T. (2009). Phylogeny of Asilidae inferred from morphological characters of imagines (Insecta: Diptera: Brachycera: Asiloidea). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 2009(319), 1-175. More details on this taxonomic revision here
Regional Diversity
On each species account on this website, I have included a Florida Range category based on publications and data. These are Panhandle, North Florida, Central Florida (South of Gainesville to north of Lake Okeechobee), and South Florida. Based on available records, the most diverse region is the Panhandle, where 78% of Florida species have been recorded. North Florida is a close second with respect to diversity (77% of Florida species have been recorded in North Florida). This is likely due to the extensive and long-term collecting that has taken place in Gainesville. This is followed by Central Florida (56% of Florida species) and South Florida (41% of Florida species).
| Subfamily | Genus | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Leptogastrinae | Apachekolos | Apachekolos tenuipes (Loew) 1862 |
| Leptogastrinae | Beameromyia | Beameromyia chrysops Martin 1957 |
| Leptogastrinae | Beameromyia | Beameromyia disfascia Martin 1957 |
| Leptogastrinae | Beameromyia | Beameromyia floridensis (Johnson) 1913 |
| Leptogastrinae | Beameromyia | Beameromyia vulgaris Martin 1957 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster aegra Martin 1957 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster atridorsalis Back 1909 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster brevicornis Loew 1872 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster flavipes Loew 1862 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster lerneri Curran 1953 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster obscuripennis Johnson 1895 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptogaster | Leptogaster obscuripes Loew 1862 |
| Leptogastrinae | Leptopteromyia | Leptopteromyia americana Hardy 1947 |
| Leptogastrinae | Psilonyx | Psilonyx annulatus (Say) 1823 |
| Leptogastrinae | Tipulogaster | Tipulogaster glabrata (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Dasypogoninae | Taracticus | Taracticus octopunctatus (Say) 1823kkk |
| Dasypogoninae | Nicocles | Nicocles engelhardti Wilcox 1946 |
| Dasypogoninae | Nicocles | Nicocles politus (Say) 1823 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites crudelis Bromley 1936 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites esuriens Bromley 1936 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites misellus Loew 1866 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites neoternatus (Bromley) 1931 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites platypterus Loew 1866 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites properans Bromley 1936 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites salutans Bromley 1936 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites ternatus Loew 1866 |
| Laphrinae | Andrenosoma | Andrenosoma cruentum (McAtee) 1919 |
| Laphrinae | Andrenosoma | Andrenosoma fulvicauda (Say) 1823 |
| Laphrinae | Pogonosoma | Pogonosoma dorsatum (Say) 1824 |
| Laphrinae | Atomosia | Atomosia glabrata (Say) 1823 |
| Laphrinae | Atomosia | Atomosia puella (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Laphrinae | Atomosia | Atomosia rufipes Macquart 1847 |
| Laphrinae | Atomosia | Atomosia sayii Johnson 1903 |
| Laphrinae | Cerotainia | Cerotainia albipilosa Curran 1930 |
| Laphrinae | Cerotainia | Cerotainia macrocera Say 1823 |
| Laphrinae | Lampria | Lampria bicolor (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Laphrinae | Lampria | Lampria rubriventris (Macquart) 1834 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria affinis Macquart 1855 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria apila (Bromley) 1951 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria canis Williston 1883 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria cinerea (Back) 1904 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria divisor (Banks) 1917 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria flavicollis Say 1824 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria floridensis Bromley (unfinished) |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria grossa (Fabricius) 1775 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria index McAtee 1919 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria saffrana Fabricius 1805 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria sicula McAtee 1919 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria virginica (Banks) 1917 |
| Laphistiinae | Laphystia | Laphystia litoralis Curran 1931 |
| Laphistiinae | Laphystia | Laphystia ochreifrons Curran 1931 |
| Laphistiinae | Laphystia | Laphystia texensis Curran 1931 |
| Stenopogoninae | Heteropogon | Heteropogon rubrifasciatus Bromley 1931 |
| Stenopogoninae | Holopogon | Holopogon guttulus (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Stenopogoninae | Holopogon | Holopogon phaeonotus Loew 1874 |
| Stenopogoninae | Ceraturgus | Ceraturgus cornutus (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Stenopogoninae | Ceraturgus | Ceraturgus johnsoni Martin 1965 |
| Stenopogoninae | Ceraturgus | Ceraturgus mitchelli Brimley 1924 |
| Dioctriinae | Nannodioctria | Nannodioctria seminole (Bromley) 1924 |
| Stenopogoninae | Prolepsis | Prolepsis tristis (Walker) 1851 |
| Stenopogoninae | Scleropogon | Scleropogon floridensis (Bromley) 1951 |
| Stenopogoninae | Scleropogon | Scleropogon subulatus (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Stichopogoninae | Stichopogon | Stichopogon abdominalis Back 1909 |
| Stichopogoninae | Stichopogon | Stichopogon trifasciatus (Say) 1823 |
| Stichopogoninae | Townsendia | Townsendia arenicola Scarbrough 1995 |
| Stichopogoninae | Townsendia | Townsendia nigra Back 1909 |
| Trigonomiminae | Holcocephala | Holcocephala abdominalis (Say) 1823 |
| Trigonomiminae | Holcocephala | Holcocephala calva (Loew) 1872 |
| Asilinae | Eccritosia | Eccritosia zamon (Townsend) 1895 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia aestuans (Linnaeus) 1763 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia albibarbis (Macquart) 1838 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia apicalis (Macquart) 1838 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia femorata (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia slossonae (Hine) 1919 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia tabescens (Banks) 1919 |
| Asilinae | Mallophora | Mallophora atra Macquart 1834 |
| Asilinae | Mallophora | Mallophora bomboides (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Asilinae | Mallophora | Mallophora orcina (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Megaphorus | Megaphorus clausicellus (Macquart) 1850 |
| Asilinae | Megaphorus | Megaphorus laphroides (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Megaphorus | Megaphorus minutus (Macquart) 1835 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus brevipennis (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus fulviventris Macquart 1850 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus gracilis Bromley 1928 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus heros (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus longus (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus nigriventris Macquart 1838 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus rufus Williston 1885 |
| Asilinae | Promachus | Promachus bastardii (Macquart) 1838 |
| Asilinae | Promachus | Promachus quadratus (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Asilinae | Promachus | Promachus rufipes (Fabricius) 1775 |
| Asilinae | Triorla | Triorla interrupta (Macquart) 1834 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus blantoni (Bromley) 1940 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus fattigi (Bromley) 1940 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus floridensis (Bromley) 1940 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus frosti (Bromley) 1950 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus hubbelli Bromley 1950 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus maneei (Hine) 1909 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus notatus (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus novaescotiae (Macquart) 1847 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus polyphemi Bullington & Beck 1991 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus snowii (Hine) 1909 |
| Asilinae | Neoitamus | Neoitamus flavofemoratus (Hine) 1909 |
| Asilinae | Philonicus | Philonicus fuscatus (Hine) 1909 |
| Asilinae | Polacantha | Polacantha gracilis (Wiedemann) 1828 |
| Asilinae | Ommatius | Ommatius floridensis Bullingon & Lavigne 1984 |
| Asilinae | Ommatius | Ommatius gemma Brimley 1928 |
| Asilinae | Ommatius | Ommatius tibialis Say 1823 |
| Asilinae | Ommatius | Ommatius wilcoxi Bullingon & Lavigne 1984 |
Hypothetical or where I have not found records in museums or literature, or the literature records are questionable.
| Subfamily | Genus | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Leptogastrinae | Beameromyia | Beameromyia pictipes (Loew) 1862 |
| Dasypogoninae | Nicocles | Nicocles pictus (Loew) 1866 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites discolor Loew 1866 |
| Dasypogoninae | Diogmites | Diogmites angustipennis Loew 1866 |
| Laphrinae | Orthogonis | Orthogonis stygia (Bromley) 1931 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria lata Macquart 1850 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria macquarti (Banks) 1917 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria sacrator Walker 1949 |
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria thoracica Fabricius 1805 |
| Stenopogoninae | Holopogon | Holopogon vockerothi Martin 1959 |
| Trigonomiminae | Holcocephala | Holcocephala fusca Bromley 1951 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia nemoralis (Macquart) 1838 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia pogonias (Wiedemann) 1821 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus hinei Bromley 1928 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus milbertii Macquart 1838 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus philadelphicus Macquart 1838 |
| Asilinae | Promachus | Promachus fitchii Osten Sacken 1878 |
| Asilinae | Asilus | Asilus sericeus Say 1823 |
Erroneous in Florida. These species are sometimes included on Florida lists. For some,
there have been published accounts refuting it.
| Subfamily | Genus | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Laphrinae | Laphria | Laphria sericea Say 1823 |
| Stenopogoninae | Cyrtopogon | Cyrtopogon falto (Walker) 1849 |
| Stenopogoninae | Ceraturgus | Ceraturgus cruciatus (Say) 1823 |
| Stenopogoninae | Ceraturgus | Ceraturgus nigripes Williston 1886 |
| Asilinae | Mallophora | Mallophora thompsoni Artigas & Angulo 1980 |
| Asilinae | Efferia | Efferia stylata (Fabricius) 1775 |
| Asilinae | Proctacanthus | Proctacanthus vittatus (Olivier) 1789 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus erythocnemius (Hine) 1909 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus lecythus (Walker) 1849 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus paropus (Walker) 1849 |
| Asilinae | Machimus | Machimus sadyates (Walker) 1849 |
Robber Flies of Florida 