Spogostylum Macquart, 1840

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 191-192

Spogostylum Macquart

Spogostylum Macquart, 1840: 53 [1841: 331]. Type species: Spogostylum mystaceum Macquart, 1840 [misidentification, = Anthrax tripunctata Wiedemann, 1820 ], by monotypy.

Spongostylum Agassiz, 1846: 349 (unjustified emendation of Spogostylum Macquart, 1840 ). Type species: Spogostylum mystaceum Macquart, 1840 [misidentification, = Anthrax tripunctata Wiedemann, 1820 ], automatic.

Argyromoeba Schiner, 1860: 51 . Type species: Anthrax tripunctata Wiedemann, 1820 , by designation of Coquillett (1910: 510).

Argyramoeba Loew, 1869 b: 228 [1872 a: 114; 1872 b: 290] (unjustified emendation of Argyromoeba Schiner 1860 ). Type species: Anthrax tripunctata Wiedemann, 1820 , automatic.

Anthracamoeba Sack, 1909: 515 . Type species: Anthracamoeba obscura Sack, 1909 , by original designation.

Chrysamoeba Sack, 1909: 516 . Type species: Chrysamoeba vulpina Sack, 1909 , by original designation. [Preoccupied by Klebs, 1892.]

Leucamoeba Sack, 1909: 520 . Type species: Bibio aethiops Fabricius, 1781 , by original designation.

Molybdamoeba Sack, 1909: 510 , 519. Type species: Anthrax tripunctata Wiedemann, 1820 , by original designation.

Psamatamoeba Sack, 1909: 536 . Type species: Anthrax isis Meigen, 1820 , by original designation.

Coniomastix Enderlein, 1934: 140 . Type species: Coniomastix montana Enderlein, 1934 , by original designation.

Aureomoeba Evenhuis, 1978 b: 247 (new replacement name for Chrysamoeba Sack, 1909 ). Type species: Chrysamoeba vulpina Sack, 1909 , automatic.

Comments: Owing to confusion over the identity of the type species of Spogostylum , the name Argyramoeba , an objective synonym, was in widespread use by many authors e.g. Bowden (1964) and Hesse (1956) for species of this genus. Evenhuis (1985) gave a full account of the history of the underlying misconceptions.

Spogostylum spp. males have truncate gonocoxae, a normal-sized ( Fig. 113 ) or very long slender aedeagus ( Fig. 114 ), simple epiphalli with one or two hooks, and relatively small, weak apodemes, compared with Anthrax spp. Females have large, balloon-like spermathecal bulbs with, usually, sinuous ducts and no distinct sperm pump.

Keys: Palaearctic, Engel (1932 –7), Paramonov (1957); Egypt, El-Hawagry (1999 a); Afrotropical, Bezzi (1924); Eritrea /northern Ethiopia, Greathead (1967); Ghana, Bowden (1964 as Argyramoeba ); Senegal, François (1972 as Argyramoeba ); southern Africa, Hesse (1956 as Argyramoeba ).

Hosts: Ectoparasitoids of solitary bees and wasps, predators in egg-pods of Acrididae and also reared from a pyralid, Loxostege frustalis Zeller , and its parasitoids ( du Merle 1975; Yeates & Greathead 1997).

Distribution: Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. North Africa: 9 species, including Canary Islands: 1 species; S. trinotatum Dufour. Africa South of the Sahara: 19 species.

Figures

Figs 113–118. Bombyliidae male genitalia. 113. Spogostylum incisurale (Macquart). 114. Spogostylum punctipenne (Wiedemann). 115. Exhyalanthrax abruptus (Loew). 116. Pachyanthrax lutulentus (Bezzi) a. lateral view.b. ventral view. 117.Thyridanthrax perspicillaris (Loew). 118. Heteralonia umbrosa (Loew) (all from Hesse 1956).