Gonioscelis haemorhous Schiner, 1867

Londt, Jason G. H., 2004, A review of the afrotropical genus Gonioscelis Schiner, 1866 (Diptera: Asilidae), with descriptions of new species, African Invertebrates 45, pp. 21-124 : 49-51

Gonioscelis haemorhous Schiner, 1867

Figs 55–57 , 152

Gonioscelis haemorhous Schiner, 1867: 362–363 .

Redescription: Based primarily on holotype ^ ( NHMW) .

Head: Antenna mostly dark red-brown to black, distal end of pedicel and proximal end of postpedicel brown-yellow, setae mostly black (a few orange-brown). Facial swelling pronounced, mystax mostly white, but black dorsally (2 tiny brown setae lie between gibbosity and antennal sockets). Frons and vertex thinly gold pruinose. Ocellar tubercle apruinose with black oc. Occiput black, silver and gold-silver pruinose, yellow setose (paler ventrally). Proboscis and palpus dark red-brown with yellow setae.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, silver-gold pruinose. Postpronotal lobes brown-orange, clearly contrasting with adjacent mesonotum, with many strong and weak yellow setae.

Mesonotal setae: ac weak black along entire length; approx. 20 pairs dc, clearly extending anterior of transverse suture, mostly black (few orange posteriorly); 3–4 strong npl (mixed yellow, brown and black); 4–5 yellow, brown and black sa; approx. 6 yellow pa. Scutellum dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, with 4 brown-yellow mrg sct. Wing length 7.6 mm, membrane mostly brown-yellow. Legs mostly yellow-brown, but femora with dark red-brown parts. Prothoracic coxa dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, yellow setose; femoral spur sharply pointed (angle approx. 20°).

Abdomen: Tergites dark red-brown, gold-silver pruinose (edges apruinose), setae fine yellow uniformly distributed. Sternites similar to tergites.

Terminalia ( Figs 55–57 ): Short ep (proctiger projecting beyond epandrial lobes), lobes almost parallel-sided in lateral aspect (i.e. not gradually tapering distally), each with a number of well-developed macrosetae distally; gcx with three distal projections, the most ventral equipped with a few fine setae; hyp, in ventral view, longer than broad, tapering to an almost club-shaped medial, setose lobe.

Variation: A moderately variable species. Mesonotal setae may vary by being black or yellowish, leg coloration also varies from almost entirely orange to almost entirely dark red-brown, the same is true for the colour of the terminal abdominal segments. Male genitalia are also somewhat variable. The width of the epandrium in lateral view varies slightly, while the length and shape of the hypandrium can also be somewhat variable.

Type material: SOUTH AFRICA: 1^ holotype (seen), ‘ Cap. ’, ‘ haemorrhous / Coll. Winthem’, ‘ Type’ ( NHMW) .

Type locality: Here fixed as South Africa: Western Cape, Stellenbosch .

Other material: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ, ‘Ysterfontein [= Yzerfontein 32°11'S 18°46'E]’ ~ ‘SAM / 9: 60’ (SAMC); 3ơ 7^, ‘South Africa: Cape / 3km S Darling 3318AD / 28.ix.1979 J. Londt / Well veget. Hillside / above wheatlands’; 1ơ, Malmasbu / ry [= Malmesbury 33°27'S 18°44'E] Cape / Dr Brauns / Sept 25 1926 ’; 1ơ 2^, ‘Stellenbosch [33°56'S 18°51'E] / Capland / Dr Brauns / xi.1924 ’; 1ơ, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct. 25 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Nov. 15 1924 / Dr H. Brauns’, ‘ Gonioscelis / setosus Wd. / det. E.O. Engel ^’ (ZSMC); 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / 10.x.1925 / Dr H. Brauns’, ‘ Gonioscelis / setosus Wd. / det. E.O. Engel ^’ (ZSMC); 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 10 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’, ‘ Gonioscelis / setosus Wd. / det. E.O. Engel ^’ (ZSMC); 1ơ 2^, ‘Stellenbosch / Capland / 10.x.1925 / Dr H. Brauns’; 2ơ 3^,‘Stellenbosch / Capland / Dr Brauns / 15.10.16’; 1ơ 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 10 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1ơ 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 5 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 11 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 4^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 15 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 18 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 2ơ, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Oct 20 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / Nov 9 1926 / Dr H. Brauns’; 2^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / 25.xi.1925 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / 1.xii.1925 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1^, ‘Capland / Stellenbosch / 5.xii.1925 / Dr H. Brauns’; 1ơ, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / 5.10.1928 / Ac. US.’; 1?, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / 12.10.1938 / Ac. US.’; 1ơ, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / Sept. 1938 / Ac. US.’; 1ơ, ‘Stellenbosch / South Africa / 16 th Oct. 1947 / J. E. Wicht’; 1ơ, ‘South Africa / St-bosch [= Stellenbosch] / 17.7.1942 ’; 1^, ‘South Africa / St-bosch / 8.7.1944 ’; 1?, ‘South Africa / St-bosch / 5.8.1941 ’; 1^, ‘Stellenbosch / 15.10.46 / C. Steyn’; 1^, ‘J v. Wiel. / Stellb [= Stellenbosch] / 4-10-46’; 1^, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / 4 Okt 1930 / Ac. US’; 1^, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / 22 Okt 1929 / Ac. US’; 2ơ, ‘South Africa / Stellenbosch / Okt: 1947 / J.G. Theron’; 1ơ, ‘W Cape / Porterville / Grootfontein / 3219CC / 27 Oct 1995 / V.B. Whitehead (SAMC); 1^, ‘S Africa: Cape #34 / Paarl Mtn. Nature Res. / 33°44'S 18°57'E 360m / Date: 26.ix.1993 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Indigenous gardens’; 2ơ 2^, ‘Cold Bokkeveld [33°02'S 19°22'E] / Ceres Dist.’ ~ ‘M Veersfeld / 15-30 Oct. 1934 ’ (SAMC); 6ơ 4^, ‘Sneeuwgat Valley / Tulbagh [33°17'S 19°09'E] Div.’ ~ ‘Museum Staff / Oct. 1934 ’ (SAMC); 2ơ 3^, ‘Gt. Winterhoek Mts. / Tulbagh [33°17'S 19°09'E], C.P.’ ~ ‘K.H. Barnard / 4000 ft., Nov. 1932 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ 2^, ‘Mitchells Pass [33°24'S 19°18'E] / Ceres Dist. / West Cape / 6 Oct 1959 / B & P Stuckenberg’; 1ơ 5^, ‘Mitchells Pass / Ceres Div.’ ~ ‘Museum Staff / Oct. 1934 ’ (SAMC); 1^, ‘S Africa: Cape #33 / Karoo Botanic Garden / 33°37'S 19°27'E 210m / Date: 5.x.1993 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Worcester – Macchia’; 1ơ, ‘South Africa: Cape / 30km NE Wellington / Bainskloof Pass / 27.ix.1979 3319CA / J. Londt East slopes; 1ơ, ‘Sth Africa Cape Prov / Du Toitskloof summit / 3319CC 11.ix.1981 / J. Londt, L. Schoeman / and B. Stuckenberg. / Macchia – near tunnel’; 1ơ 4^, ‘Du Toits Kloof [33°44'S 19°11'E] / Paarl Dist. W Cape / 2000-3500 ft / 27-28 Sept. 1959 / B. & P. Stuckenberg’; 1^, ‘South Africa: Cape / 5km E Wellington on / Bainskloof Pass / 27.ix.1979 3319CA / J. Londt East slopes’.

Other recorded material: Oldroyd (1974) records the species from Namaqualand, O’okiep. His identification was certainly wrong as the species does not occur so far north. It is likely that the material he studied was that listed under engeli which was previously identified as setosus (now a synonym of hispidus ).

Notes: Schiner (1867) gives ‘Afrika’ as provenance; the type is however clearly labelled ‘Cap’ thus limiting its origin to the south-western parts of South Africa. Three female specimens, identified by Engel as setosus , are listed above as it is likely that they were collected in the same area where Brauns obtained material now housed in the NMSA.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1–2, Fig. 152): Restricted to a relatively small area within the Fynbos biome, centred on the higher altitude areas around Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This area experiences winter rainfall. The species, collected from July through to December, is most commonly encountered during September and October (the height of the rainy season). Individuals rest on or close to the ground in areas of indigenous vegetation. There are two Natal Museum prey records as follows: 2^ (3 km S Darling 1; Karoo Botanic Garden 1) – Coleoptera ( Scarabaeidae 2).

Similar species: A species similar to ceresae , hispidus , pickeri and scapularis in that males possess a single distomedial hypandrial projection. The hypandrium, however, has a characteristic form most closely similar to pickeri . It is possible that all these species are no more than geographical variants of one species, but more information is required before this can be ascertained. G. melas also has males with a single distomedial hypandrial process, but is otherwise different and is probably more closely related to punctipennis and its allies (see comment under melas ).

Figures

Figs 52–63. Gonioscelis male genitalia. 52–54. G. hadrocantha sp. n. (holotype). 52. Lateral. 53. Dorsal. 54. Ventral. 55–57. G. haemorhous Schiner, 1867 (Stellenbosch). 55. Lateral. 56. Dorsal. 57. Ventral. 58–60. G. hispidus (Wiedemann, 1819) (West Coast National Park). 58. Lateral. 59. Dorsal. 60. Ventral. 61–63. G. iota sp. n. (Komaggas paratype). 61. Lateral. 62. Dorsal. 63. Ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.