Metommatius Hull, 2010

Scarbrough, A. G., 2010, An overview of the Afrotropical Ommatiinae (Diptera: Asilidae) with a key to genera, Zootaxa 2540, pp. 1-47 : 21

publication ID

1175-5326

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038C87F8-FF88-FFFE-FF7B-6B98E3DCF8A8

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Metommatius Hull
status

stat. nov.

Metommatius Hull View in CoL , new status

Fig. 108

Ommatius (Metommatius) Hull, 1962: 436 View in CoL (as subgenus Ommatius View in CoL ; type species: Ommatius aegyptius Efflatoun 1934: 66 View in CoL ). Scarbrough & Marascia, 2000: 157 . Revision.

Coquillett (1910) designated Asilus marginellus Fabricius, 1781 View in CoL the type of genus of Ommatius View in CoL . This species Ommatius marginellus View in CoL has the style with setae in two well defined rows. However some species have setae in only a single row. Hull (1962) proposed the subgenus Metommatius View in CoL to include those species that possessed setae in a single rank (row) below the style, selecting O. aegyptius View in CoL as the type species. Earlier Efflatoun (1934) noted some variation in the alignment of setae in O. aegyptius View in CoL and questioned the validity of using this character to separate taxa. Later Bromley (1964) rejected Hull’s subfamily because of this variability. In a study of the subgenus Scarbrough and Marascia (2000) found that setae were in only one rank though the length and number per species varied from quite short to long and 3 to 9, respectively. Further, the status of the taxa was supported by the glabrous mesonotum, absence of scutellar marginal and ventral femoral bristles, a horizontal tubular aedeagus, and long, sometimes convoluted, spermathecae ( Scarbrough and Marascia 2000 ). Lastly this is the only group taxa of Afrotropical species studied that lack stout marginal scutellar bristles. These differences distinguish it from all Ommatius View in CoL in this region. Thus I propose elevating the subgenus to generic level.

Distribution. Common in southern and eastern Africa as far north as Egypt and Israel. Only two records exist from the west coast, Togo and Ghana ( Fig. 108). Adults were captured with hand nets and malaise traps in all months of the year except June and July. They were found in a variety of habitats including savanna woodlands (thornveld), acacia grassland, coastal dune vegetation (grass, brush, forest), and forest nursery. Label of one specimen stated ‘in the house’, suggesting that it was captured indoors.

Remarks. This small genus has 4 species: aegyptius ( Egypt, Israel), planatus ( Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe), politus ( Kenya, South Africa), and puchellus ( Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe).

Metommatius politus (Scarbrough and Marascia)

NEW RECORDS. KENYA, Coast Province / Muhaka Forest, Malaise / trap, 9–14.vi.1999 / 4 o 19.47’ S, 39 o 31.45’E / R. Copeland (1 ♂, USNM) GoogleMaps ; same data except dates, 4–9.viii.1999 (1 ♂, NMKE) GoogleMaps , 10–17.x.1999 (1 ♀, NMKE) GoogleMaps , 15–22.ix.1999 (1 ♀, NMKE) , 16–23.iv.2000 (1 ♀, USNM) , 22–29.xii. 1999 (1 ♂, USNM) ; Coast Prov. / Arabuko-Sokoke Forest / 3 o 25.21’ S, 39 o 53.81’E 29.iv–5.v.2000 / R. Copeland (1 ♀, USNM) GoogleMaps ; Nyanza Prov. / Gembe Hills 1362 m / 0 o 29.36’ S, 34 o 14.60’E / Malaise trap, 15–22.i.2005 / R.S. Copeland (2 ♂, NMKE) GoogleMaps ; Nyanza Prov. / Rusinga Island ; 1206 m, / 0 o 23.240’S, 34 o 10.995’E / Malaise trap, 15–21.xi.2004 / R.S. Copeland (1 ♂, 1 ♀, NMKE) GoogleMaps ; same data except dates, 28.xi.– / 5.xii.2004, R.S. Copeland (1 ♂, USNM) GoogleMaps .

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

NMKE

National Museum of Kenya

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Asilidae

Loc

Metommatius Hull

Scarbrough, A. G. 2010
2010
Loc

Ommatius (Metommatius)

Scarbrough, A. G. & Marascia, C. G. 2000: 157
Hull, F. M. 1962: 436
Efflatoun, B. H. C. 1934: 66
1962
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