Rhopalocera (Lepidoptera) prey records of Asilidae (Diptera) in eastern New Mexico and western Texas, United States of America

Abstract

Robber flies with their prey were collected from 2014-2021 in several eastern New Mexico counties and one county in west Texas. A few were merely photographed in the same areas in 2022. One hundred and one asilid-butterfly pairs were collected representing 17 species of robber flies and 19 species of butterflies. Three pairs were photographed representing one robber fly species with two species of butterflies. The prey taxa consisted of five species of Hesperiidae, three species of Pieridae, four species of Lycaenidae, and four species of Nymphalidae. Efferia helenae (Bromley, 1951) was the most frequently collected asilid predator of butterflies, 33 individuals preying on 10 butterfly species followed by Proctacanthus micans Schiner, 1867, 15 individuals preying on seven butterfly species. Nathalis iole Boisduval, 1836 (Pieridae) was the most commonly collected butterfly prey with 21 specimens. However, at the species level, Echinargus isola (Reakirt, [1867]) (Lycaenidae) was found to be preyed upon by the most robber fly species, i.e., seven, followed by Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852) (Hesperiidae) and Nathalis iole (Pieridae), each by six robber fly species.