Cerotainia albipilosa
Curran, 1930
White-faced Micropanther
Cerotainia albipilosa is a small robber fly in the Asilidae, Laphriinae. It is among the smallest North American robber flies, measuring approximately 6–8 mm in length. The is distinguished by its notably long relative to body size and its characteristic perching on twig-ends rather than flat leaves. It was described by Curran in 1930 and has been recorded from the northeastern United States.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cerotainia albipilosa: /ˌsɛrəˈteɪniə ˌælbiˈpaɪloʊsə/
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Identification
Cerotainia albipilosa can be distinguished from the similarly tiny robber fly Eudioctria by its extra-long , which are proportionally longer than those of Eudioctria . Behaviorally, C. albipilosa perches on twig-ends, whereas Eudioctria prefers flat leaves at the top of small shrubs. The specific epithet "albipilosa" (white-haired) suggests a pale or whitish pilose covering, though detailed descriptions of this feature require examination of .
Images
Distribution
Recorded from Vermont, United States. The Cerotainia is primarily western in distribution, though C. albipilosa represents one of the eastern occurrences.
Behavior
Perches on twig-ends, in contrast to related small robber flies that prefer flat leaf surfaces.
Similar Taxa
- EudioctriaEudioctria are similarly small (6–8 mm) robber flies that can be confused with Cerotainia, but lack the extra-long and exhibit different perching (flat leaves vs. twig-ends).
More Details
Size comparison
At 6–8 mm, Cerotainia albipilosa is comparable in size to Eudioctria and much smaller than most North American robber flies, which often exceed 20 mm.