Gonioscelis lacertosus Engel, 1925

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 : 57-59

Gonioscelis lacertosus Engel, 1925

Figs 4 , 67–73 , 149

Gonioscelis lacertosus Engel, 1925: 166–167 ( Fig. 1 ơ gen.); Oldroyd 1974: 41.

Gonioscelis oculatus Engel, 1925: 175–176 ( Fig. 8 ơ gen.) syn. n.

Redescription: Based primarily on holotype ơ ( NMSA) .

Head: Antenna mostly dark red-brown to black, setae mostly dark red-brown (dorsally a little paler). Facial swelling moderately to poorly developed, without obvious point at which dorsal region terminates below antennal sockets, mystax yellow (few smaller brown setae between antennal sockets and gibbosity. Frons and vertex apruinose. Ocellar tubercle apruinose with brown-yellow oc. Occiput silver pruinose with apruinose area behind ocellarium, fine yellow setose. Proboscis and palpus dark red-brown with thin pale yellow setae.

Thorax: Dark red-brown, gold-silver pruinose. Mesonotum orange-brown with 3 black longitudinal stripes; postpronotal lobes brown-orange, not clearly contrasting with adjacent mesonotum, with short yellow setae. Mesonotal setae yellow: ac not evident; approx. 4–5 pairs dc, weak, not extending anterior of transverse suture; 3 npl; 3 sa; 2– 4 pa. Scutellum red-brown, with 3 weak yellow mrg sct. Wing length 8.4 mm, membrane mostly brown-yellow (little darker anteriorly). Legs uniform yellowish, mostly yellow setose (some black setae present). Prothoracic coxa dark red-brown, apruinose, black (distally) and yellow (proximally) setose; femoral spur moderately pointed (angle approx. 35°).

Abdomen: Tergites mostly orange, except for T1–2 which possess dark red-brown parts, mostly apruinose (small areas of silver pruinescence only), setae yellow, long especially laterally on T1–2. Sternites orange, apruinose except for tiny areas medially on hind margins, setae yellow, short.

Terminalia ( Figs 67–69 ): Moderately short ep (lobes projecting to about same level attained by proctiger), lobes hardly tapering distally, with fine setae distally; gcx with two dorsodistal projections, ventrodistal part as a broadly-rounded projection with a few strong macrosetae; hyp, in ventral view, clearly broader than long, tapering quickly to a broadly-rounded distal end equipped with long setae arranged in two groups.

Variation: A variable species, showing local individual and geographical variation as well as some sexual dimorphism.Variation is particularly marked in the colour of almost all parts of the body. Variation in male genital morphology is also fairly marked ( Figs 70–73 ), suggesting the possible existence of a group of closely related species.

Type material: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ holotype ( lacertosus seen), ‘Uniondale [33°39'S 23°08'E] / Capland / Dr Brauns / 25.12.09 [25.xii.1925]’, ‘ Gonioscelis / lacertosus Eng. Type 13’, ‘Type / lacertosus’, ‘ Gonioscelis / lacertosus / Engel / Type ơ’ (NMSA). 1^ paratype (not seen), Caffraria, Drège (ZMHB). 1ơ paratype ( lacertosus not seen), Port Elizabeth [33°58'S 25°35'E], Drège (ZMHB); 1ơ holotype ( oculatus seen), ‘Willowmore [33°17'S 23°29'E] / Capland, Dr. Brauns / 15.11.16’, ‘Sammlung / E Engel’, ‘ Gonioscelis / oculatus / Engel’, ‘ Gonioscelis ơ / oculatus Eng / det. E.O. Engel’ (ZSMC); 1^ paratype ( oculatus seen), ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr. Brauns’, ‘Sammlung / F Hermann’, ‘Type von / oculatus / Engel / 1925’ ~ ‘Mitt. a. d. / Zool. Mus. / Berlin / 1925’, ‘ Gonioscelis / oculatus ^ / Herm.’ (ZSMC); 1^ paratype ( oculatus seen), ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr. Brauns’, ‘Sammlung / Hermann’, ‘ Gonioscelis / oculatus / Herm.’, ‘ Gonioscelis / oculatus Eng. / det. E.O. Engel’ (ZSMC); 1ơ paratype ( oculatus seen), ‘Ladismith [33°29'S 21°16'E] / Cape Colony / Dr. Brauns’, ‘Sammlung / E. Engel’, ‘ Gonioscelis / oculatus ơ / Eng. / det. E.O. Engel’ (ZSMC).

Type locality: Here designated as South Africa: Western Cape, Uniondale .

Other material: SOUTH AFRICA: 2ơ 1^, Knersvlakte [31°15'S 18°45'E] / Mus Staff / Oct. 1939 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ, ‘Van Rhyn’s- / Pass [31°23'S 19°01'E], 4-5.11'33 [xi.1933] / G. van Son.’; 1ơ 2^, ‘Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Hantamsberg 3119BD / Date: 23.x.1986 / Coll: L. E. Schoeman’; 3ơ 3^, ‘Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Hantamsberg summit / 15.xi.1986 3119BD / Quickelberge & Londt / 1600m Rocky macchia’; 1ơ, ‘Sth Africa: N Cape / Hantamsberg summit / 31°20'57"S: 19°48'17"E / 6.xi.2002 J.G.H. Londt / 1590m Karoo scrub nr / dams. Rocky area’; 1^, ‘Sth Africa: N Cape / Hantamsberg summit / 31°20'27"S: 19°48'55"E / 6.xi.2002 J.G.H. Londt / 1500m Thick montane / veget. On pass to mast’; 1ơ, ‘Sth Africa: N Cape / Hantamsberg summit / 31°23'15''S: 19°47'11''E / 6.xi.2002 J.G.H. Londt / 1600m Karoo scrub nr / radio mast. Rocky area’; 1ơ 1^, ‘Augusfontein [= Augustfontein 31°37'S 19°22'E] / (Calvinia) / C.P. / Mus. Exp., / Sept. 1947 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ 1^, ‘Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Longhill Nature Res. / 5km N of Queenstown / 31°52'S 26°53'E 1350m / J. & H. Londt Acacia / savannah 3.xii.1989 ’; 1^, ‘South Africa: Cape / Prov. Queenstown / 31°54'S 26°53'E / 14.xi.1989 L. Schoeman’; 3ơ 7^, ‘Transkei: Cacadu River / nr. Lady Frere 3127CA / 27.x.1978 river bank / J. Londt & R. Miller’; 1ơ, ‘S Africa: N Cape #28 / Besemgoedkop 31 km N / of Sutherland 1670m / 32°11'21"S: 20°36'03"E / 8.xi.1998 J&B Londt / Rocky ridge Macchia’; 5ơ 3^, ‘S Africa: Cape #74 / 31 km N of Sutherland / 32°11'S 20°36'E 1600m / Date: 6.xi.1991 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Besemgoedkop and area’; 2ơ 1?, ‘S. Afr. C. P. / 29.7 km NW / Sutherland / 22 ix 85 / V B Whitehead’, ‘SAM’, ‘SAMDIP / A008259’ (SAMC); 2ơ 2^, ‘S Africa: Cape #73 / 18 km N of Sutherland / 32°11'S 20°43'E 1300m / Date: 5.xi.1991 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Renosterrivier area’; 4ơ 3^, ‘Cold Bokkeveld [33°02'S 19°22'E] / Ceres Dist.’ ~ ‘M. Versfeld / 15-30 Oct. 1934 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ, ‘ Cape Province: / Matjesfontein. [33°13'S 20°35'E] / 6-15.x.1928.’, ‘S. Africa. / R.E. Turner. / Brit. Mus. / 1928-480.’ (BMNH); 1^, ‘Sth Africa: Cape Prov / 18km E of Sutherland / (Observatory) 3220BD / 18.xi.1986 1700m / Quickelberge & Londt / Rocky hillside bush’; 2ơ, ‘ Cape Province / Worcester. [33°39'S 19°26'E] / Sept.-Oct. 1931.’, ‘S. Africa. / R.E. Turner. / Brit. Mus. / 1931-528.’ (BMNH); 1ơ, ‘Sth Africa Cape Prov / Worcester –near dam / 33129CB [sic – 3319CB] 11.ix.1981 / J.Londt, L.Schoeman / and B.Stuckenberg / Karroid Broken Veld.’; 1ơ 1^, ‘Willowmore [33°17'S 23°29'E] / Capland / Dr Brauns / 15.10.11’; 2^, ‘Capland / Willowmore / 11 1907 / Dr Brauns’; 2^, ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr Brauns / 1.11.09’; 1^, ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr Brauns / 3 08’; 1^, ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr Brauns / Oct 1917 ’; 1^, ‘Willowmore / Capland / Dr Brauns’; 2ơ 1^, ‘Klaarstroom / - Prince / Albert [33°13'S 22°03'E] / C.P.’ ~ ‘Mus. Expd. / Oct. 1952 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ 1^, ‘Rust en Vrede / Oudtshoorn [33°35'S 22°12'E] Dist. / C.P.’ ~ ‘Mus. Expd., / Oct. 1951 ’ (SAMC); 4^, ‘Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Karoo Nature Reserve / West of Graaff Reinet / 33°14'S 24°29'E 900m / J&H Londt Rocky slope / Savannah 7-8.xii.1989 ’; 1ơ, ‘Elandsberg Mts South / of Cockscomb Peak / Patensie area / 1.12.67 3424BD [sic 3324BD] / B&P Stuckenberg’ [listed by Oldroyd (1974)]; 1ơ 8^, ‘So. Africa: Cape Prov. / 30km E. Kirkwood / Suurberg 4.xi.1978 / 3325BD Londt & Miller / open hillside veget.’; 1ơ 1^, ‘South Afr: Cape Prov / 3km E Grahamstown / 3326BC 2& 5.i.1986 / J. & B. Londt Belmont / Valley & Malaise’; 1ơ, ‘ Cape Province / Grahamstown / 14.xi.1968 / J.G.H. Londt’; 6ơ, ‘South Africa, Cape Prov. / 7km SW Grahamstown / Faraway, 10-16.i.1984 / Brothers, Malaise trap’; 1^, ‘ Cape Province / Hilton [33°15'S 26°21'E] / Grahamstown / 28.ii.1978 / F.W. Gess’ [with prey: Diptera : Asilidae – G. ventralis ] (AMGS); 2ơ 6^, ‘ Cape Province / Hilton / Grahamstown / 6-xi-1981 / F.W. & S.K. Gess’ (AMGS); 1^, ‘ Cape Province / Hilton / Grahamstown / 2-i-1978 / F.W. Gess’, ‘Prey: / Plagiolepis / steingroeveri / Forel ^ / det. F.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 1^, ‘ Cape Province / Hilton / Grahamstown / 17-iii-1978 / S/K. Gess’, ‘with prey: Silpha / micans’ [ Coleoptera : Sylphidae]’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘ Cape Province / Hilton / Grahamstown / 5-xi-1969 / F.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 2ơ 2^, ‘ Cape Province / Burntkraal [33°17'S 26°29'E] / Grahamstown / 4-xii-1969 / F.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘Miss M. Daly & / Miss M. Sole / Grahamstown [33°18'S 26°32'E] / xi-[19]02’, ‘33’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘ Cape Province / Strowan [33°18'S 26°28'E] / Grahamstown / 27.xi.1968 / F.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘ Cape Province / Strowan / Grahamstown / 9.xii.1968 / F.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 2ơ 1^, ‘ Cape Province / Strowan / Grahamstown / 7-i-1986 / D.W. Gess’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘2069 / Port Alfred [33°36'S 26°54'E] / Master R. / Graham / Jan. 1914 ’ (AMGS).

Notes: Engel (1925), in designating ‘types’ and ‘cotypes’, was clearly aware of the need to select a unique reference specimen. I consider his ‘type’ to be the holotype and his ‘cotypes’ to be paratypes. In the case of lacertosus he lists two specimens under the heading cotype (singular). I consider both specimens to be paratypes. One of the oculatus females in ZSMC has a ‘type’ label, while the single male from Willowmore, listed by Engel as the ‘type’, has no appropriate label. I have rectified this omission. Engel (1925) lists as cotypes of oculatus the following specimens - ‘2^ ‘cotypes’ from Ladysmith [sic. = Ladismith], ^ Willowmore, Okt. 19, Dr. Brauns leg. (Eigene Samml.)’ – I have seen a male from Ladismith (listed above) and assume it to be a paratype, but I do not know where the other material is presently housed.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1–2, Fig. 149 ): Widely distributed in higher altitude areas from the Van Rhyns Pass vicinity (Succulent Karoo) in the west, through the southern mountains of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces (largely NamaKaroo and Fynbos) to the Queenstown area (Grassland / Savanna). Recorded from September through to March in dry areas receiving mostly summer-rainfall. I have collected individuals resting on the ground or low vegetation in rocky mountainous situations. The species apparently occurs sympatrically with haemorhous at Worcester (where fragments of Succulent Karoo occur in an area dominated by Fynbos). There are four Natal Museum prey records as follows: 3ơ 1^ (Hantamsberg summit 1; 31 km N Sutherland 1; Cacadu River 1; 31 km E Kirkwood 1) – Coleoptera ( Scarabaeidae 1, Coccinellidae 1, Undetermined 1), Isoptera ( Termitidae 1).

Similar species: Although placed here as a member of the large and widely distributed group of species possessing a poorly defined facial gibbosity, it must be said that the facial condition can be somewhat intermediate between that seen in species like hispidus and punctipennis , and species with poorly developed gibbosities. The variable nature of this species makes an assessment of relationships difficult. Similarity to phacopterus needs particular note as future analyses would probably need to take this species into account. Unfortunately more material from many localities is needed to fully explain the variation that is presently accepted within lacertosus .

Figures

Figs 2–5. Gonioscelis species, head, showing development of facial gibbosity and mystax. 2. G. submaculatus Speiser, 1910 (Valley of Lower Shire), poorly defined gibbosity, and mystax extending fairly strongly to antennal sockets. 3. G. longulus Ricardo, 1925 (Paul Roux), moderate gibbosity, and mystax extending moderately to antennal sockets. 4. G. lacertosus Engel, 1925 (Hantamsberg Summit), moderate gibbosity, and small weak setae between gibbosity and antennal sockets. 5. G. punctipennis Engel, 1925 (Garies), well-developed gibbosity, and complete lack of setae between gibbosity and antennal sockets.

Figs 64–76. Gonioscelis male genitalia. 64–66. G. kedros sp. n. (holotype). 64. Lateral. 65. Dorsal. 66. Ventral. 67–73. G. lacertosus Engel, 1925. 67–69. (Elandsberg). 67. Lateral. 68. Dorsal. 69. Ventral. 70–73. Hypandrial variation. 70. Willowmore. 71. Hantamsberg. 72. Sutherland. 73. Kirkwood. 74–76.G. longulus Ricardo, 1925 (M’fongosi). 74. Lateral. 75. Dorsal. 76.Ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Figs 148–149. Distribution of Gonioscelis species found only in southernAfrica. 148. closed circle = genitalis, open circle = longulus, closed square = maculiventris, open square = phacopterus. 149. closed circle = lacertosus, open circle = nigripennis, closed square = ramphis, open square = truncatus.

Fig. 1. Gonioscelis ventralis Schiner, 1867. General habitus.

Figs 6–9. Gonioscelis species, wing, showing some variation encountered. 6. G. ventralis Schiner, 1867 (Vaalbos National Park) microtrichial colours results in central parts of cells appearing darker than areas adjacent to veins. 7. G. cuthbertsoni sp. n. (Angwa Bridge) showing very weak spotting at forks and crossveins.8. G. punctipennis Engel, 1925 (10 km W Garies) showing strong spotting at forks and crossveins. 9. G. melas sp. n. (31 km N Sutherland) showing generally dark wings caused mainly by black microtrichia.