Notiolaphria stuckenbergi Oldroyd, 1960

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, Taxonomic observations regarding four genera ofAfrotropical robber flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 56 (1), pp. 191-191 : 214-219

Notiolaphria stuckenbergi Oldroyd, 1960 , comb. n.

Figs 10 , 18, 19 , 36

Laphria stuckenbergi Oldroyd, 1960: 285 ; 1980: 351 (catalogue).

Etymology: The species was named for the late Dr Brian Stuckenberg, collector of the type specimens.

Redescription: Based on material examined. No apparent sexual dimorphism exists.

Head: Black, silver and gold-silver pruinose, black and white setose. Antenna: Black, scape black and white setose, pedicel black setose. Segmental ratios (scape as 1) — 1: 0.6: 2.3. Style absent, postpedicel tipped with a pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element. Face black, strongly gibbose, gold-silver pruinose. Mystax mainly long black (dorsally) and white (ventrally), with a pair of dorsolaterally situated groups of silver, glistening, scale-like setae. Dorsal region of face, between gibbosity and antennal sockets, with few moderately long fine white (may be few black) setae. Frons black, dull silver pruinose with moderately long black setae laterally adjacent to eye margin. Ocellar tubercle with a pair of long, strong, black macrosetae. Vertex black, silver pruinose. Postocular (occipital) region black, silver pruinose, black setose dorsally, fine white setose ventrally. Palpi and proboscis dark red-brown to black, white setose.

Thorax: Black, with areas of silver pruinescence, black, pale yellow and white setose. Pronotum black. Mesonotum black, extensively shiny apruinose, but with areas of fine silver pruinescence (lateral and posterior margins; dorsomedial parts of postpronotal lobes; lateral parts of transverse suture). Acrostichals and dorsocentrals, poorly developed, black and white. Mesonotal macrosetae: Black, 1–3 npl, 2 spal, 2–3 pal. Scutellum black, disc entirely dull silver pruinose, fine white setose, 6–8 long black apical macrosetae. Pleura: Black, entirely silver pruinose, pale yellow or black and white setose. Anepisternum with few pale yellow or black macrosetae posteriorly. Katatergal macrosetae long white (may also have one black seta dorsally). Anatergites uniformly silver pruinose, asetose. Legs: Coxae black, silver pruinose, fine white setose. Trochanters shiny black or dark red-brown, apruinose, white setose. Femora somewhat inflated, uniformly black or with slight red-brown region proximally, yellow and black setose. Tibiae and tarsi shiny black or dark red-brown (hind tibiae may be partly orange-brown proximally), macrosetae mostly black, fine setae mostly long white. Claws black, pulvilli and empodia well developed. Wings: ♂ 7.4–11.5× 2.3–3.9 mm, ♀ 7.8× 2.6 mm. Veins red-brown, cell r 5 narrowly open or more widely open on margin, m 3 and cua closed and stalked, membrane unstained, transparent, microtrichia largely absent from proximal half of wing and extensive in distal half ( Fig. 10 ). Halter cream with slightly darker base.

Abdomen: Shiny black (terga) and dark red-brown (sterna), apruinose except for terga that have entire lateral parts silver pruinescence and sterna that are uniformly weakly pruinose. T1–2 with 2–4 laterally situated yellowish macrosetae, T2 with 2 discal macrosetae, T3–5 (♂) or T3–4 (♀) with 1–3 yellowish macrosetae, fine setae short, black dorsomedially on terga, longish white laterally on sterna and laterally on terga.

Male terminalia ( Figs 18–19 ): Rotated through 90°. Epandrium as a single shield-like plate, showing no indication of bifurcation distally, but tapering slightly to broad apex. Proctiger well-developed jutting out beyond distal end of epandrium, ventral lobes better developed than dorsal lobes. Gonocoxites composed of external and internal lobes. External lobe fairly robust, tapering gradually to acutely rounded apex in lateral view. Internal lobe relatively weakly developed, laterally compressed, somewhat sigmoid in lateral view, jutting out distally well beyond level achieved by external lobe, clearly dorsally hooked terminally. Gonostylus projecting to about the same level as achieved by internal lobe of gonocoxite, laterally compressed, almost parallel-sided for much of length, somewhat ventrally curved distally. Hypandrium, poorly developed, wider than long in ventral view, with broadly rounded apical lobe. Aedeagus of moderate length with three terminal prongs and dorsally directed process subapically.

Female terminalia: Simple, slightly telescopic, setaceous and lacking spines.

Material examined: MADAGASCAR: 1♀ ‘ Madagascar: Tam. [Toamasina] / Morarano [c. 19°26'S 47°29'E, c. 1550 m] - Chrome / 10 – 20.iv.1992, A. Pauly col.’ ( GULB) ; 1♂ ‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov. / Zombitse N.P. nr national / road 22°50.43'S 44°43.87'E / 825m, 14 – 21 Feb 2002, CAS / coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. Trap / spiny forest MA 02-13B-16’ ( CAS) ; 1♂ ‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov. / Zombitse N.P., nr. Angap / office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E [22°53'19"S 44°41'32"E, c. 810 m] / 840m, 27 March – 3 April 2002 / CAS, coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. / tr. spiny for., MA 02-13A-22’ ( NMSA) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov. / Zombitse N.P., nr. Angap / office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E [22°53'19"S 44°41'32"E, c. 810 m] / 840m, 3 – 13 July 2002 / CAS, coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. / tr. spiny for., MA 02-13A-34’ ( CAS) .

Additional material: The following specimens were studied and confirmed as stuckenbergi by Dr Eric Fisher. MADAGASCAR: 1♀ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Province / Zombitse National Park / near national road, elev. 825 m / 22°50.43'S 44°43.87'E / ex. malaise trap in deciduous spiny / forest, 13–20.iii.2002 / California Acad of Sciences / coll: R. Harin’Hala, MA-02-13B-20’ ( CAS) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Province / Zombitse National Park; near ANGAP / office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E / el. 840m, ex. Malaise trap in / deciduous spiny forest / 31.x. – 16.xi.2002, California Acad of / Sciences, coll: R. Harin’Hala / MA-02-13A-43’ ( CAS) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Prov. / Andohahela Natl Park / Ihazofatsy Parcelle III, el. 80 m / 24°49.85'S 46°32.17'E / ex. malaise trap in dry spiny forest / 19.xii.2003 – 3.i.2004 / California Acad of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, F. Parker, R. Harin’Hala / MA-02-21-43’ ( CAS) ;

Other material: Oldroyd (1960) listed only a unique ♂ holotype housed in the MNHN. Data supplied are ‘ Madagascar Est: Ifanadiana [21°18'00"S 47°38'00"E, c. 435 m], Ranomafana (B. Stuckenberg)’, ‘ Décembre’.

Remarks: Having compared the examined specimens with photographs of the holotype I am confident that the new material has been correctly identified.

Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from four fairly widely separated areas ( Fig. 36 ). The Zombitse material was collected in spiny forest and so the species appears to inhabit fairly dry places. Known material has been collected between 810–1550 m altitude during the months of January, March, April, July, October, November and December ( Table 1 ), and so the species is apparently active in the adult stage throughout much of the year. No prey records are known.

Figures

Figs 5–10. Notiolaphria species, wings. (5) No. coerulescens (Macquart, 1834) (Mauritius, Roche Bois); (6) No. dimidiatifemur (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, 7km W Ranomafana National Park); (7) No. microtheres sp. n. (Madagascar, Mikea Forest); (8) No. miltothorax sp. n. (Madagascar, 7km E Beroboka, Antsarongaza forest); (9) No. rufitibia (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, Foulpointe); (10) No. stuckenbergi (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, Zombitse National Park).

Figs 16–19. Notiolaphria male terminalia (note: rotated through 90°). (16, 17) No. miltothorax sp. n. (Madagascar,Ambovomany):(16) lateral and (17) ventral views.(18, 19) No.stuckenbergi (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, Zombitse National Park): (18) lateral and (19) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 34–37. (34) Distribution of Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977 (■) and Notiolaphria coerulescens (Macquart, 1834) (●); (35–37) Distributions of Notiolaphria species in Madagascar: (35) No. dimidiatifemur (Oldroyd, 1960) (●), No. microtheres sp. n. (■), No. miltothorax sp. n. (▲); (36) No. rufitibia (Oldroyd, 1960) (●), No.stuckenbergi (Oldroyd) (▲); (37) Ericomyia atomentosa (Oldroyd, 1960) typical specimens (●) atypical specimens (▲).