Litorhina flammea Greathead and Evenhuis, 2001

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 : 205

Litorhina flammea Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n.

Etymology: Derived from the Latin flammeus, fiery, in reference to the bright orange vestiture on the front of the thorax and apex of the abdomen.

Material examined: Holotype Ò: SIERRA LEONE: Freetown , Cape Sierra Hotel area, 8 ° 31'N 13 ° 17'W, 19.xi.1993, loc. 2, on windows (Lund University Sierra Leone Expedition 1993; L. Caderholm, R. Danielsson & R. Hall) ( MZLU) . Paratype Ò: SIERRA LEONE: Charlotte Village , SE of Freetown, 8 ° 25'N 13 ° 12'W, 22.xi.1993, loc. 6, at light (Lund University Sierra Leone Expedition 1993; L. Caderholm, R. Danielsson & R. Hall) ( MZLU) .

Diagnosis: This is a very distinctive species, unlike any other afrotropical species in appearance. Cell r 5 is closed and stalked, it is not predominantly reddish-brown and it lacks spots of white scales on the abdomen. Instead the head, legs and apex of the abdomen are orange, and contrast with the remainder of the body, which appears black owing to the presence of black hair and scales. The end of vein M 2 is not as strongly bent forward as in other species with r 5 closed, and the infuscated part of the wing is uniformly blackish, except for the pale spot in cell bm.

Description: Holotype Ò. Length, 16 mm, wing 18 mm. Head: Orange except for a small black spot between the bases of the antennae. All hair very short, bright orange; scales on occiput glossy orange. Eyes separated at vertex by about 4 x width of ocellar triangle; indentation shallow and bisecting line hardly evident. Antennae: Brown; hair on scape orange except at the apex where it is black like that on pedicel. First flagellomere equal in length to scape and pedicel combined, second as long as remainder of antenna. Proboscis 2 x length of head, black with labrum and palpi dark brown. Thorax: Black with scutellum and postpronotal lobes brown.Hair and scales on mesonotum black except for bright orange hair on anterior margin of mesonotum, propleura, upper part of anepimeron in front of wing and laterotergite. Legs: Coxae and trochanters black, femora and tibiae orange and tarsi blackish. Bristles and claws black. Wing: Cell r 5 closed and with a long stalk. Vein M 2 bent forward at end so that cell m 1 is about two thirds width of cell m 2 at margin of wing. End of infuscation in cell r 1 just beyond level of interradial crossvein then more or less straight across to near end of vein M 2. Clear middle area occupying middle third of discal cell, slightly narrowed on distal margin by infuscation in fore part of cell m 2, proximal margin straight to end of vein CuA1.An opaque whitish spot in cell bm. Squama blackish, fringe black. Stalk of halter black, knob grey. Abdomen: Black but sides of terga reddish and segments 6 to apex orange. Hair and scales on segments 1–5 black, 6 with some black scales, otherwise segments 6 to apex with glistening orange hair. Genitalia also orange with bright orange hair, not dissected.