Euscelidia lucioides, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 79-81

Euscelidia lucioides sp. n.

Figs 45E–I , 46

Etymology: Refers to the similarity of this species to lucida .

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the predominantly grey pruinose sct, a brown apruinose median stripe and two apruinose lateral stripes on the sct, and features of the ơ terminalia.

Description: Head: Black; fc silver pruinose (in upper half more yellow pruinose), fc gib indistinct, mystax white, 6–8 macrosetae; prob and plp brown, setae white; oc tr white pruinose dorsally; occ silver pruinose, few white and yellowish setae; Antennae - scp yellow, white setae ventrally, white pruinose; ped yellow, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped yellow, brown distad, white pruinose; apsel brown. Thorax: Brown; ppro peg small, distinct,silver pruinose; sct predominantly yellow pruinose, 3 apruinose longitudinal stripes, median stripe not reaching posterior margin, lateral ones not reaching anterior and posterior margins, yellow setae on margins; macrosetae: brown, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl white pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, light brown; Legs - yellow to brown; fem light brown, yellow proximally, meta fem slightly clubbed; pro and meso tib light brown, pale yellow stripe anteriorly, meta tib brown, pale yellow stripe not reaching tip anteriorly; tar light brown, brown distad, black setae; emp minute; Wings - hyaline, few microtrichia scattered on remigium and on distal margin, slightly brown stained; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt light brown.

Abdomen: Brown; T predominantly brown pruinose, anterior and posterior margins narrowly grey pruinose, T2 with apruinose spot medially, T3 with apruinose spot proximally, T1 with long brown setae laterally, T 2 in proximal half with white setae laterally, remaining T with white to brown setae, S grey pruinose, S 2 in proximal half apruinose; ơ terminalia Figs 45E–I - sur pointed distally, lobe dorsally and ventrally; hypd bent upwards; d aed shea short, blunt; lat apod simple.

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘ KENYA, Ngong Forestry Station 1–7 Feb. 1968 [1–7.ii.1962] Malaise trap Krombein & Spangler / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia lucioides sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in excellent condition (many Lepidoptera scales on specimen), and is deposited in the USNM.

The 2^^ 2ơơ paratypes are labelled ‘ KENYA, Ngong Forestry Station 13–18 Jan. [1ơ] 27–31 Jan. [2^^] 1–7 Feb. 1968 [1ơ] Malaise trap Krombein & Spangler / PARATYPE Euscelidia lucioides sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimens are directly mounted, are in very good to excellent condition (many Lepidoptera scales on specimens), and are deposited in the USNM.

Type locality and distribution (Fig. 46): Kenya , Ngong, 1 21'S 36 39'E. Kenya .

Remarks: The species is very similar to lucida . Some features of the ơ terminalia (shape of sur and aed) as well as the shorter empodium, however, support my decision in describing it as a different species.

Figures

Fig. 45. ơ terminalia. A–D. Euscelidia lucida. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. E–I. E. lucioides sp. n. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Hypandrium posterior. G. Dorsal. H. Ventral. I. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.