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 Ceraturgus elizabethae.

 
TTThe 2017 version from Bell north. Maybe a mile south of where the one below was taken. This one was hunting out in the grassy open with nearby treeline. Appears darker when not flashed into those red highlights.

 

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. His map does not seem to show all five counties for AR that are known for now. 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 has worked on the whole eastern group. And we have essentially all of the worlds 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]

 

This lovely April robber is another Ceraturgus and this is from the population in Texas near Austin. Shots from Greg. This is C. mitchelli. We have been looking for this species in Arkansas as it is distributed in Texas and in the NE and skips our areas. Likely out in late April if it is here. Really fine shot of this male. Heavy white banding with orange fore and mid tibias.

And the female from same time and area, also from Greg. No genus can match those antenna.