Afromosia barkemeyeri, Londt, 2015

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, Afromosia, a new robber fly genus from Cameroon (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae: Atomosiini), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 719-719 : 721-725

Afromosia barkemeyeri sp. n.

Figs 1–10

Etymology: Named in honour of Dr Werner Barkemeyer, who has contributed greatly to the knowledge of Afrotropical Diptera through his extensive fieldwork.

Description:

Based on all available material (note: 1♂ 2♀ from Limbe are paler — see notes after main description). No obvious sexual dimorphism, apart from genital morphology, is evident. Head ( Fig. 1 ): Black, partly silver pruinose, black, white and pale yellow setose.Antenna ( Fig. 2 ) black; segmental length ratios (scape= 1) 1:0.77:4.2; postpedicel more than twice the length of scape and pedicel combined; scape and pedicel entirely black setose (setae generally longer ventrally); postpedicel lacking major setae, uniformly covered by tiny microtrichia and with what is believed to be a subterminal seta-like sensory element situated dorsally at just beyond midlength. Face ( Fig. 1 ) rather narrow (face:eye width ratio 1:2.5); black, extensively silver pruinose, especially laterally and along epistomal margin. Mystax poorly developed, composed of 2 vertical rows of widely separated black setae and a small group of shorter pale yellow and white setae in ventral region. Frons and vertex black, uniformly fine silver pruinose. Ocellar tubercle well developed; ocelli yellowish; a pair of well-developed, long, divergent ocellar macrosetae present. Occiput uniformly silver pruinose with 8 or 9 short black setae dorsally behind each eye. Proboscis short, dark red-brown, cylindrical, bearing c. 6 longish red-brown macrosetae anteroventrally. Palpi pale brown, minute, apparently single segmented, fine yellowish setose.

Thorax: Shiny black except for orange-brown postpronotal lobes, extensively silver pruinose, macrosetae black and yellowish, minor setulae yellow-white. Mesonotum extensively covered with fine pale yellow setulae. Mesonotal macrosetae black (1 presutural, 1 supra­alar, 1 postalar). Scutellum black, apruinose, disc fine white setose, margin with 2 well-developed, black apical macrosetae, posterior margin diagnostically shaped ( Fig. 4 ) with small tubercular projection apically. Pleura black, extensively silver pruinose except for central parts of anepisternum and katepisternum.Anepisternum with single well-developed black macroseta on posterior margin. Katatergal setae long, mostly black except for a few smaller pale yellowish setae dorsally.Anatergites and mediotergite black, finely silver pruinose, asetose. Legs: Coxae black, fine silver pruinose. Femora dark red-brown to black, mostly pale yellowish setose (long ventrally) but may have a few well-developed black setae dorsodistally. Tibiae mostly pale yellow-brown, darker red-brown distally. Tarsi pale red-brown. Claws and pulvilli moderately well developed. Wings ( Fig. 5 ): Length: ♂ 4.4–5.1 mm (mean 4.8 mm), ♀ 4.7–6.0 mm (mean 5.4 mm); veins dark red-brown, membrane extensively microtrichose except for parts of basal cells. Cells r 1, m 3 and cua closed and stalked. Base of vein M 2 nearly parallel to M 3, but displaced from it.

Abdomen: Terga (7 visible), shiny black, covered with fine white setulae, short medially, longer laterally. Macrosetae confined to 4–5 pale yellow setae laterally on T1. Sterna red-brown, weakly sclerotised and sparsely setose.

♂ genitalia ( Figs 6–8 ): Rotated through 180°. Epandrium poorly developed, half length of gonocoxite in lateral view, deeply incised medially, horseshoe-shaped in dorsal view, terminal ends of lobes strongly black setose (setae not illustrated). Proctiger broad in dorsal view, well developed, projecting well beyond epandrial lobes, ventral lamellae separated, clearly longer than dorsal lamellae. Hypandrium poorly developed, broader than long, subtriangular in ventral view. Gonocoxites large, well-developed, with prominent distal lobes both dorsally and laterally; distal ends of dorsal lobes converge in ventral view; lateral lobes long, relatively weakly sclerotised basally, with slightly converging, rounded apices.Aedeagus well-developed, basally broad, ventrally curved with short terminal prongs.

♀ genitalia ( Figs 9 ): Simple (not dissected), terminal segments not extended to form an obvious ovipositor.

Variation: The ♂ and 2♀ from Limbe are distinctly paler than other specimens ( Fig. 1 ). However, an examination of the ♂ terminalia confirm that this material is conspecific. The following discrepancies are common to all three Limbe specimens. Head: Dark red-brown, mystax entirely pale yellow, 5 occipital macrosetae behind each eye. Thorax : Dark red-brown, katatergal macrosetae entirely yellowish. Femora , tibiae and tarsi uniformly brown-yellow.

Holotype: 1♂ ‘W­Africa: Cameroon: / 50 km S’ Yaounde : Ɨ / Mbalmayo [c. 3°31'00"N 11°30'00"E 730 m]: 4–5 km S’: / Réserve Forestière M. / Barkemeyer 7.3.1984 ’, ‘USNMENT00802743’ ( USNM).

Paratypes: 1♀ same data as holotype (USNMENT00802744) ; 1♀ ‘W­Africa: Cameroon: / 85 km WSW’ Yaounde: / Eseka [c. 3°39'00"N 10°46'00"E 245 m]: 1 km SSW’ 1: / Barkemeyer 12.3.1984 ’, ‘USNMENT00802738’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 2♀ ‘W­Africa: Cameroon:/ Limbe ( Victoria [c. 4°00'35"N 9°13'14"E 20 m]): / Mündung Dockyard / Creek – Mitondo (SE1). / Barkemeyer 20.3.1984 ’(♂ USNMENT00802742 ♀ USNMENT00802741 USNM, ♀ USNMENT00802740 NMSA) ; 3♀ ‘ Cameroun. / 30 km. W. Bertoua [c. 4°35'00"N 13°41'00"E 670 m] / iv–18/23–1972 / J/ A. Gruwell, coll.’, ‘ Atomosiinae / Genus? / det. EM Fisher 74’ ( EMF) .

Distribution, phenology and biology: The genus and species is known only from Cameroon where it has been collected during March and April. Dr Werner Barkemeyer (pers. comm.) kindly provided additional information about the localities where he collected specimens. The type locality (Réserve Forestière) is described as ‘Woodland with some human impact (i.e. some banana trees, tree felling etc.)’. The habitat of the Eseka material is described as ‘a strip between a roadside and a small stream; wet in parts with some old, rotten tree stumps’. The Limbe (= Victoria) locality is described as ‘a hilly area with some small streams and patches of woodland. There were several Manioc, Banana and Mango trees. Apparently an old forest, but now partly cleared for farming’. Although it appears that the species may be associated with woodland it may, like many other Afrotropical Atomosiini , inhabit long grass. Like many grass inhabiting asilids the female has simple terminalia suggesting that eggs are merely allowed to drop to the ground and that no specialised oviposition behaviour exists.

Figures

Fig. 1. Afromosia barkemeyeri gen. n. et sp. n. entire paratype female from Limbe (Note: Pale legs are atypical).

Figs 2–4. Afromosia barkemeyeri gen. n. et sp. n.: (2) head, anterior aspect; (3) antenna, left, lateral aspect; (4) scutellum, dorsal aspect. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Afromosia barkemeyeri gen. n. et sp. n. wing.

Figs 6–8. Afromosia barkemeyeri gen. n. et sp. n. male genitalia (rotated through 180°): (6) lateral view; (7) dorsal view; (8) ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 9. Afromosia barkemeyeri gen. n. et sp. n. female terminalia.

Fig. 10. The distribution of Afrotropical Atomosiini: Afromosia (■), Dichaetothyrea (▼), Goneccalypsis (●), Loewinella (▲).