Giant Laphria Laphria grossa (Fabricius, 1775)    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Diptera   >   Family Asilidae   >   Genus Laphria   

Status:

This impressive species is among the largest robber flies in North America by weight, although large, elongate asilid species may exceed its body length of 23-35 mm (Bromley 1934). Laphria grossa flies with a very audible loud buzz, and resembles a queen bumblebee in flight. It tends to frequent hardwood forest, and males often take up perches on vegetation adjacent to a large log or stump, especially oak or elm. Like most Laphria, L. grossa is active as an adult primarily in early to mid-summer.

There are 24 records in the project database.

View images at BugGuide

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GAAL WA FRCL MO HO BA BC HA CEPG AA CV CHSMKEQACNTADOWISOWO
A Giant Laphria in Howard Co., Maryland (6/14/2021). Determined by Ben Coulter/BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Harford Co., Maryland (6/20/2016). Determined by Ben Coulter/BugGuide. Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

A male Giant Laphria in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/7/2011). Determined by Norman and Cheryl Lavers/BugGuide. Photo by Bill Johnson. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/22/2019). Determined by Ken Wolgemuth and Ben Coulter via BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/21/2023). (c) Mauro Dutra, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Mauro Dutra via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A male Giant Laphria in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/7/2011). Determined by Norman and Cheryl Lavers/BugGuide. Photo by Bill Johnson. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/25/2011). Determined by Herschel Raney/BugGuide. Photo by Bill Johnson. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Allegany Co., Maryland (7/9/2006). Photo by Steve Collins. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Howard Co., Maryland (7/17/2019). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Baltimore City, Maryland (7/15/2008). Determined by Ben Coulter and Herschel Raney/BugGuide. Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Ashland Co., Ohio (7/25/2012). Photo by Jay Cossey. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/18/2022). (c) Benjamin Burgunder, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Benjamin Burgunder via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/21/2023). (c) Mauro Dutra, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Mauro Dutra via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Giant Laphria in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/30/2017). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.