Philodicus cinerascens ( Ricardo, 1900 )

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, A review of the genus Philodicus Loew, 1848 in southern Africa (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 747-747 : 752-754

Philodicus cinerascens ( Ricardo, 1900)

Figs 2–6

Alcimus cinerascens Ricardo, 1900: 176 ; 1922: 42.

Philodicus umbripennis Ricardo, 1921: 184 ; 1925: 236.

Philodicus cinerascens: Ricardo 1925: 236 ; Blasdale 1957: 139 (pl. I, fig. 5 ♂ gen., Pl. II, fig. 4 ♀ S8); Hull 1962: 456; Londt 1978: 422 (figs 5 ♂ gen, 6 aed.); Oldroyd 1980: 342 (catalogue); Tomasovic 2012: 25 (fig. 2 aed.).

Ricardo (1900) described Alcimus cinerascens on 3♂ 4♀ from ‘Fort Johnston, Nyasaland [ Malawi] (P. Rendall)’. She calls both males and females ‘types’ and so all should be considered ‘cotypes’ or ‘syntypes’. With the close similarity to tenuipes there is a need for the designation of a lectotype. Ricardo (1921) again handled Philodicus , but not cinerascens which she had placed in Alcimus . However she described umbripennis , which she later synonymised with cinerascens . P. umbripennis was based on ‘Type (male), type (female), from S.W. Nyasa (R. Webb), 96, 261; another male from Nyasaland, Nov. 1892 (H.H. Johnston), 94, 12; another female from Nyasaland (Dr. H.G. Eldred).’ The species is evidently fairly common at some locations in Malawi as I have collected and studied the following material from a hill behind the hotel at Senga Bay: 5♂ ‘ Malawi Senga Hills [c. 13°43'S 34°37'E 490 m] / 1-2.xii.1980 1334DA / Ca. 500m, Stuckenberg / & Londt Brachystegia / woodland near lake’ (NMSA); 5♂ 3♀ ‘ Malawi SE1334DC / Senga Bay 20km NE of / Salima 7–8.iii.1987 / J & A Londt Woodland / on hill behind hotel’ (NMSA).

Material examined: MOZAMBIQUE: 2♂ ‘ Namalala [Namelala c. 14°28'S 40°37'E 20 m] / 22/11/56 / Col. Trav [illegible] Dias’ ( NMSA)*; 2♂ ‘ Mombane [? Mambone c. 20°59'S 33°39'E 160 m] Mozam. / No. / 22–25-III-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100102–USNMENT01100105 [respectively]’ ( USNM); 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Massangena [c. 21°46'39"S 32°37'40"E 215 m] Mozam. / No. / 1-II-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100087 [♂ + ♀] & USNMENT01100088 [♂ + ♀] [respectively]’ ( USNM); 6♂ 7♀ ‘ Massangena Mozam. / No. / 1–8-II-1964 / Coll.A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100087–USNMENT01100098 [respectively – 3 pairs with same numbers]’ ( USNM); 1♀ ‘ Mapulanguene [c. 24°29'31"S 32°04'54"E 155 m] Mozam. / No. / 3–6-III-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100099’ ( USNM). ZIMBABWE: 2♂ 1? ‘ Country Rhodesia / Loc Lusulu [c. 18°04'S 27°50'E 990 m] / Date 28/xi/63 / Coll R.J. Phelps’ ( NMSA)*.

Material not re-examined:Additional southern African material from Zimbabwe was listed in Londt’s (1978) addendum as follows: ‘ Rhodesia [ Zimbabwe]: 4♂ 4♀ Matopos [Matobo National Park - c. 20°36'S 28°30'E c. 1385 m], 7.ii.1920 11.ii.1924 20.ii.1938 (N. M.R.); 1♂ 6♀, Turk Mine [c. 19°43'S 28°48'E 1305 m], 10.xi.1957 (N. M.R.); 1♂ 2♀, Sawmills [c. 19°35'S 28°02'E 1130 m], 12.vi.1920 10.ii.1920 23.ii.1922 (N. M.R.); 1♀, Runde [c. 19°56'S 29°58'E 1045 m] Tribal Trustland, 23.iv.1971, Payne (N. M.R.); 1♀, Mwanzatanicia , Kanyemba [c. 15°38'S 30°25'E 350 m], 27.ix.1976, Mpala (N. M.R.).’

Distribution, phenology and biology: Southern African distribution is limited to a few localities in Zimbabwe ( Fig. 6 ) where the species has been collected in September, November, February, March, April and June ( Table 1 ) – seemingly throughout the year. The species has been collected sympatrically with dubius at Massangena. Little is known of its biology. Malawian specimens were collected in Brachystegia woodland near the shores of Lake Malawi. The female ovipositor is distally broad and spade-like so may be adapted for digging in loose sand. No prey records are available.

Figures

Figs 2–5. Philodicus cinerascens (Ricardo, 1900). (2–4) male terminalia: (2) lateral, (3) dorsal and (4) ventral views; (5) female distal end of S8.

Fig. 6. Southern African distribution of Philodicus cinerascens (Ricardo, 1900) (●) and P. swynnertoni Hobby 1933 (▲).