The enigmatic robber fly Choerades mouchai Hradský, 1985 redescribed and recorded from the Alps (Diptera, Asilidae)

Abstract

Records of Choerades mouchai Hradský, 1985, are reported from Switzerland. These are the first records of the species published since its description and extend its known range to include the Alps. Previously, it was known only from parts of the Carpathian Mountain chain in Slovakia and Romania. A redescription of the male is provided, accompanied by photographs of diagnostic features, including the terminalia, and images of the entire insect. A table listing morphological differences between the males of Ch. mouchai, Ch. femorata and Ch. marginata is presented. The Choerades fauna of Switzerland is discussed, as is the information available about the ecology of Ch. mouchai.