One of the first robber species that I can truly say was located for me in my local Bell Slough area by another robber. (See shot here of Laphria macquarti with this robber). Norm subsequently went back with his Ceraturgus trained eye (he caught the first of this particular species in AR) and found two more in Bell. This is almost certainly Ceraturgus elizabethae.

This is a rare group of robbers for the most part. See Jeff Barnes excellent revision of the genus from 2008 which includes range maps here. Four eastern species have been collected more extensively (that is C. elizabethae, C. cruciatus, the resurrected C. fasciatus and C. aurulentus). The rest have been mostly miracle, scattered events. I have more info recently on the C. oklahomensis which is found only in OK and TX. Apparently it is significantly smaller than C. elizabethae and distinctively marked. Arkansas has historical records for two species and recent records for this above species. Jeff Barnes is working on the whole eastern group. And we have essentially all of the world species here in the US.

Watch for this species in June in small fields with centrally located trees. They perch on the grass and near the tree or on it. I have seen as many as three on the day the above shot was taken. This species is the finest wasp mimic in the air. Beating out the already amazing Prolepsis female. Here is the full shot.

The other species and states I have known records from are (revised with Jeff Barnes paper):

C. aurulentus (Fabricius) [GA, MI, MA, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, VA]

C. cornutus (Wiedemann) [AR, AL, FL, GA, TN]

C. cruciatus (Say) [IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, OK, WI]

C. fasciatus Walker [CT, DE, ME, MA, MD, MI, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, VT, VA]

C. elizabethae Brimley [AR, GA, IN, KY, MS, MO, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TX, VA, WV]

C. johnsoni Martin [FL]

C. mitchelli Brimley [FL, KY, LA, MI, NE, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX]

C. nigripes Williston [GA, NC, SC, TN]

C. oklahomensis (Bromley) [OK, TX]

C. similis Johnson [MA, VT, NY, WV]