Hoplistomerus zelimina Speiser, 1910

Londt, Jason G. H., 2007, A review of the genus Hoplistomerus Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 167-198 : 186-187

Hoplistomerus zelimina Speiser, 1910

Figs 37–39 , 43

Hoplistomera zelimina: Speiser 1910: 92–93 .

Hoplistomerus zelimina: Oldroyd 1940: 315 (fig. 5g ơ clasper); 1980: 350 (catalogue); Hull 1962: 96.

Diagnosis: Size: Moderate (wing length from humeral cross-vein to tip 8–11 mm). Head: Eye wider than face (in anterior view measured at level of greatest head width). Relative proportions of antennal segments (scape, pedicel and postpedicel) 1.0:1.0:3.5 (i.e. scape and pedicel approximately equal; postpedicel more than three times length of scape). Thorax: Presutural macroseta(e) absent. Anepisternal macroseta absent. Prosternal ventromedial setation short to absent. Male metatibial spur large. Scutellum with a transverse groove at mid-length. Wing cell m 3 with microtrichia limited to a narrow posterior strip. Prothoracic coxa and prosternum both dark red-brown. Prothoracic femur orange ventrally, dark red-brown dorsally (it should be noted that while the dark red-brown and yellow metathoracic femur of many individuals is a useful identification tool, there is considerable variation with some specimens possessing entirely yellow metathoracic femora). Abdomen: T3 setulae white laterally, golden medially. ơ genitalia as in Figs 37–39 .

Type specimens studied: TANZANIA: 1ơ holotype, ‘ Kilimandjaro [03°07'S: 37°20'E / Sjöstedt. 1906–6’, ‘Obstgarten- / Steppe’, ’24 Mars’, ‘ Hoplistomera / zelimina M. / P. Speiser det. / Type!’ [white] ( NHRS).

Other specimens studied: ETHIOPIA: 1ơ 1^Konso Prov. Gamu Gofa, 37°23'E: 5°16'N [reversed coordinates], 6.iv.1960, Richter, 1610 m ( SMNS) ; 1ơ 2^Riv.Errer [09°59'N: 41°19'E], Kristensen ( BMNH) . KENYA: 1^Baringo Lake Bogoria Nat. Res. South end, 00°11'N: 36°08'E, 21.xi.1992, Londt & Whittington, Fig Tree camp site ; 11ơ 4^Uaso Nyiro R., Archer’s Post [00°39'N: 37°41'E], 6.xii [7ơ 2^], 12.xii.1969 [4ơ 2^], Irwin & Ross, 2300 ft ( CASC) ; 1^Samburu Game Res. [00°40'N: 37°32'E], 19.i.1983, Valdenberg ; 1^Samburu Buffalo Springs , 15–18.vii.1987, Feijen ; 2ơ 2^West Pokot Marich Field Centre , 01°33'N: 35°28'E, 22.xi.1992, Londt & Whittington, 1000 m, closed Acacia woodland ; 1ơ 1^Stony Athi [01°35'S: 37°00'E], v.1940, E.A.U. Nat. Hist. Soc. Biol. Survey ( NMNH) ; 2ơ 2^Nguruma, Kajiado dist., 01°50'S: 36°56'E, i.1990 (1ơ 1^) v.1990, Abu-Zinid, 700 m, Rift Valley alluvial plains ; 1ơ W side Turkwell Valley [01°55'N: 35°20'E], 1.v.1954 ( BMNH) ; 1^Kajiado Kiboko R. 2 km W of Hunter’s Lodge, 02°11'S: 37°41'E, 30.xi.1992, Londt & Whittington, 960 m, A. xanthophloea forest ; 1ơ 2^near Kajiado, 14.v.1968, Greathead ( BMNH) ; 1ơ 1^Kibwezi W. F [ Kibwezi Forest 02°26'S: 37°55'E], ii.1929, Van- Someren ( BMNH ơ NMNH) ; 1ơ 2^Mombasa [04°02'S: 39°40'E], 18–27.v.1978, Riedel ( ZSMC) ; 1ơ Watamu Mombasa, 27.iv.1940, Jeffery ( NMNH) ; 1^Brit. E Africa, 1894, Gregory ( BMNH) . TANZANIA: 2ơ 4^Ngaruka [Nguruma 01°50'S: 36°56'E], 29.i–14.ii.1952, D. O. Afrika Exp. ( SMNS) ; 1ơ 1^Masai distr., Longido [02°44'S: 36°39'E], 19.iv.1957, Basilewsky & Leleup ( MRAC) ; 2ơ Mbugve [Mbugwe 03°16'S: 31°18'E], 22–30.iii.1959, Lindner ( SMNS) ; 1^Momela , Arusha [Populated place, 03°20'S: 36°40'E] Nat. Park, 21.i.1970, Irwin & Ross, 5000 ft ( CASC) ; 1^Ndala R., Manyara [ Lake , 03°30'S: 36°00'E] Nat. Park, 21.i.1970, Irwin & Ross, 2300 ft ( CASC) . SOMALIA: 2^Borama [00°35'N: 43°11'E], 6.vi.1957, Roffey ( BMNH) . UNKNOWN COUNTRY: 1^69 (BMNH); 1ơ Burma : Coll. & Pres. E.Y. Watson B.M. 1894–4 ( BMNH) .

Distribution and biology:An East African species most commonly recorded from Kenya, but ranging from southern Ethiopia in the north to northern Tanzania in the south ( Fig. 43 ). As noted by Oldroyd (1940), the specimen labelled as having been collected in Burma is certainly mislabelled. The species has been collected during every month from November through to May. In discussing the occurrence of Hoplistomerus in the Congo Basin, Oldroyd (1970) established that the species inhabits savannah.

Figures

Figs 33–39. Hoplistomerus species, male terminalia: (33–36) H. serripes (Fabricius, 1805): (33, 34) Keta ơ, lateral and ventral, (35, 36) Khartoum holotype of auriventris Loew, 1858, lateral and ventral; (37–39) H. zelimina Speiser, 1910, Nguruma ơ: (37) lateral, (38) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (39) ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 43. Distribution of Hoplistomerus zelimina Speiser, 1910.