Robber flies of South Korea
Systematics of South Korean Asilidae
Korea belongs to the Palearctic region and in fact, is one of the few countries in which northern factors and southern factors meet, hence, an endemic biota had developed by geographical isolation and habitat uniqueness. The northern factors originated from the Amur-Ussuri river region and the southern factors originated from central China and Japan. . . . the total number of [invertebrate species] is estimated at 16, 589 (Lee and Jin 2002).
On the South Korean peninsula, 11 subfamilies, 26 genera, and 64 species of Robber flies (Diptera, Asilidae) were recorded within a ten-year field survey (Geller-Grimm, 2005; Young, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; Hradský and Young, 2006). A cursory glance at older, existing South Korean insect collections (Ewha University; NIBR, Incheon) indicate that more undetermined species exist, or did in the recent past. The history of human Korean land use may reflect the paucity of Asilid taxa in South Korea compared to Japan (37 Genera, 98 species) and China, adjacent to the Korean peninsula.
The most widespread Asilids of South Korea are of the genera Neoitamus and Eutolmus. The rarest is the genus Stenopogon. One species, Molobratia youngi, Geller-Grimm 2005 is endemic to South Korea.
Common (shared) Asilid Genera of South Korea & Japan
Asilinae
Promachus
Aneomochtherus
Asilella
Astochia
Eutolmus
Machimus
Neoitamus
Philonicus
Dasypogoninae
Molobratia
Dioctriinae
Dioctria
Laphriinae
Choerades
Laphria
Orthogonis
Leptogastrinae
Leptogaster
Ommatiinae
Cophinopoda
Stenopogoninae
Cyrtopogon
Grypoctonus
Stichopogoninae
Lasiopogon
Stichopogon
Trigonomiminae
Damalis
References
Lee, Dowon, and Jin, Virginia, eds. 2002. Ecology of Korea. Seoul, VIII INTERCOL International Congress of Ecology, Seoul, Korea. Bumwoo Pub. Co.
Asilidae in Japan. 2020. "Recorded from Japan." Last modified September 8, 2003. http://www3.kcn.ne.jp/~tgw/m-index2-e.htm
