Hoplistomerus miniatus Oldroyd, 1940

Londt, Jason G. H., 2007, A review of the genus Hoplistomerus Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 167-198 : 173-174

Hoplistomerus miniatus Oldroyd, 1940

Figs 18–20

Hoplistomerus miniatus: Oldroyd 1940: 314 (fig. 5h ơ clasper); 1980: 350 (catalogue); Hull 1962: 96.

Diagnosis: Size: Moderate (wing length from humeral cross-vein to tip 8–11 mm). Head: Eye narrower than face (in anterior view measured at level of greatest head width). Relative proportions of antennal segments (scape, pedicel and postpedicel) 1.0:1.0:3.8 (i.e. scape and pedicel approximately equal; postpedicel more than three and a half times length of scape). Thorax: Presutural macroseta(e) absent. Anepisternal macroseta absent. Prosternal ventromedial setation short to absent. Male metatibial spur moderate. Scutellum with a transverse groove at mid-length. Wing cell m 3 with microtrichia covering posterodistal half. Prothoracic coxa and prosternum both orange. Prothoracic femur orange. Abdomen: T3 setulae white laterally, golden medially. ơ genitalia as in Figs 18–20 .

Type specimens studied (BMNH): KENYA: 1^holotype, ‘Neboi [possibly SOMALIA, see above under engeli ] / 9.vi.22, ‘Kenya Colony / Northern Frontier Distr. / Juba R. [00°15'S: 42°38'E] / Dr. J. O. Bevan’, Pres. By / Imp. Inst. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1931–138’, ‘ Holotype / det. H. Oldroyd 1940 / Hoplistomerus ơ / miniatus ’; 1? [cited as ^but may be ơ with genital bulb missing] paratype, ‘Para- / type’, ‘E. Africa Protectorate: / Guasa Nyiro R. [= Ewaso Ngiro, 01°09'S: 35°46'E] / Betw. Chanler’s [not Chandler’s as cited by Oldroyd] Falls / and Lorian Swamp. / 20.iii.1912. / F. C. Selous. / 1912–239.’

Other specimens studied: KENYA: 1ơ Pays Tourkouana, Lac Rodolphe [= Lake Rudolf now Lake Turkana, 03°40'N: 30°20'E], vi–viii.1903, Mission Du Bourg de Bozas ( MNHN) . SOMALIA: 2^Mogadishu [02°02'N: 45°21'E], 10.v.1986, Lavigne. UNKNOWN: 1ơ Afrique, Oula Oula, 14.vii ( MNHN) .

Note: The specimen from Oula Oula appears to be typical of the species. The only place going by the name of Oula [09°30'N: 13°08'W] that I could find is in Guinea. As I find it difficult to accept this as a possible locality for the species, I list the specimen as having unknown provenance .

Distribution and biology: The species is found with certainty in Kenya and Somalia, and is collected from March through to July (no June records) (Table 1). The species may be sympatric with erythropus (at Mogadishu) and engeli (at Neboi).

Figures

Figs 14–23. Hoplistomerus species, male terminalia: (14–17) H. garambensis Oldroyd, 1970, Garamba National Park holotype: (14) lateral, (15) oblique view of ventral process of gonocoxite, (16) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (17) ventral; (18–20) H. miniatus Oldroyd, 1940, Juba R. holotype: (18) lateral, (19) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (20) ventral; (21–23) H. nobilis Loew, 1858, Tette holotype: (21) lateral, (22) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (23) ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.