Gonioscelis truncatus Oldroyd, 1974

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 : 89-92

Gonioscelis truncatus Oldroyd, 1974

Figs 116–118 , 149

Gonioscelis truncatus Oldroyd, 1974: 40 ( Fig. 29 ơ gen.).

Redescription: Based primarily on holotype ơ ( NMSA) .

Head: Antenna dark red-brown, setae mostly dark red-brown (a few white dorsally). Facial swelling poorly developed, mystax mostly pale yellow-white (a few black on dorsal part of gibbosity). Frons and vertex silver pruinose. Ocellar tubercle silver pruinose with black oc. Occiput silver pruinose, slightly weaker behind vertex, setae mostly white (a few black dorsally). Proboscis and palpus dark red-brown, white setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown, gold-silver pruinose. Postpronotal lobes not contrasting with adjacent mesonotum, with 3–4 yellowish setae. Mesonotal setae: ac not evident; approx. 10 pairs dc, black, clearly extending anterior of transverse suture; 3 npl (2 yellow, 1 black); 3–4 pale yellow sa; 4 white pa. Scutellum dark redbrown, silver pruinose, with 4 black mrg sct. Wing length 7.4 mm, membrane mostly light brown. Legs: Yellow, except anterior face of prothoracic femur, thin strip along anterior face of metathoracic femur, most of hind tibia, all tarsal segments (except for basal part of basitarsus), setae white (few black associated with femoral spur). Prothoracic coxa black, silver pruinose, white setose; femoral spur moderately pointed (angle approx. 50°).

Abdomen: Tergites dark red-brown, gold pruinose, setae short yellow (longer laterally on T1–2). Sternites similar to tergites, setae mostly short.

Terminalia ( Figs 116–118 ): In dorsal view ep with lobes and proctiger projecting to about the same level, lobes yellowish proximally dark red-brown distally, lobes hardly tapering distally and somewhat ventrally constricted subapically, apex carries a group of long macrosetae; gcx with two distal projections and a few short fine setae; hyp, in ventral view, clearly shorter than broad, tapering rapidly to bifurcate apex, distal lobes equipped with fine setae.

Variation:A quite uniform species displaying a little individual variation in the coloration of macrosetae and legs.

Type material: LESOTHO: 1ơ holotype, 1ơ 3^ paratypes (seen) ‘Roma Mission [29°27'S 27°44'E] / Maseru District / Basutoland / B. & P. Stuckenberg / 4-13 Jan 1963 ’, ‘Upper Cave-sandstone level / 600 ft’, ‘ Gonioscelis / truncatus sp.n. / det. H. Oldroyd 1972 / Holotype’ [the latter on holotype only – 1^ paratype has a similar label but with ‘ Paratypes?’ to indicate that others in the series are also paratypes] (NMSA); 1ơ 4^ paratypes (seen), ‘Valley floor / Old Lands / 5500ft. ’, ‘Roma Mission / Maseru District / Basutoland / B. & P. Stuckenberg / 4-13 Jan. 1963 ’ (NMSA); 2^ paratypes (seen), South Africa, Transvaal, Piet Retief [27°00'S 30°48'E], 25.x.1903, R. Crawshay, BM 1903-350 (BMNH).

Type locality: Lesotho: Maseru District, Roma Mission .

Other material: LESOTHO: 2ơ, ‘National University / of Lesotho / Roma [29°27'S 27°44'E] / G. Kopij 1999-2000’; 1ơ, ‘Museum Paris / Basoutoland / Leribe [28°53'S 28°03'E] / R. Ellenberger 1923’ (MNHN); 1ơ, ‘Mamathes [29°08'S 27°51'E] / Basutoland / 26.ii.1949 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’ (NMNH); 1ơ, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 1.ii.1948 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’ (NMNH); 1ơ 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 31.xii.1947 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’ (NMNH); 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 25.xii.1947 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’ (NMNH); 2^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 2-i-1953 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Diptera : Calliphoridae ] (AMGS); 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 25-xii-1947 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Hymenoptera : Crabronidae ] (AMGS); 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 1-i-1948 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Hymenoptera : Apidae ] (AMGS); 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 1-ii-1948 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Hymenoptera : Halictidae ] (AMGS); 1^, ‘Mamathes / Basutoland / 12-xii-1954 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Hymenoptera : Crabronidae ] (AMGS); 3ơ 2^, ‘Basutoland / Tebetebeng Mill [29°08S: 27°48'E] / 13-xii-1964 / J. Jacot-Guillarmod’ (AMGS); 1ơ 1^, ‘Mamathes [29°08'S 27°51'E] / Basutoland / 28-i-1951 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod’, ‘with prey’ [ Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ] (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘Basutoland / 16-xii-1964 / D.J. Brothers / Teyateyaneng [29°09'S 27°44'E]’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘Basutoland / 13-xii-1964 / D.J. Brothers / Teyateyaneng’ (AMGS); 1ơ, ‘Basutold. / Likhoele [29°48'S 27°17'E] / Dieterlin’ (SAMC). SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ 4^, ‘South Africa KwaZulu-Natal / Farm Gelykwater rocky / grassland crest of hill / 27°30'38"S: 30°24'52"E / leg. N. Langley 1.xii.1999 ’; 2^, ‘South Africa; Natal / Royal Natal National / Park [28°41'S 28°54'E] 6-10.xii.1984 / JGH Londt Riverine / bush Montane slopes’; 1^, ‘Royal Natal 26/10/ 98 / Carex swamp beside / Mahai campsite / S 28°41'17" Alt: 1405m / E 28°56'45"’, ‘Coll. AP. Leftwich’; 1ơ, S. Africa, Natal, Van Reenen [28°22'S 29°23'E], Drakensberg, 1-22.i.1927, RE Turner, 1927-54 (BMNH); 7ơ 14^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / 2829Cc 16-18.xii.1977 / JGH Londt ex Malaise’; 3ơ 2^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / xii. 26-27 1977. 2829CC / R.M. Miller. Indigenous / for., Malaise trap’; 4ơ 3^, ‘S. Africa. Natal / 2.5km S. Ukahlamba / Res. Station. Grassy margin, / path to weir. 2829cc / 21 Dec. 1979. B. Lamoral.’; 1ơ, ‘Capturing Melolonthinae –Sericinae / on Protea caffra leaf / Tryme Hill; plot No. 5, 1580m / Cathedral Peak area / Natal Drakensberg 139c/11 / Natal South Africa / Pajor, Istvan: 01/12/1989 ’; 2ơ, ‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak: / Indumeni gorge 2829CC / 14-18.xi.1982 / D. A. Barraclough’; 1^, ‘S. Africa. Natal / Cathedral Peak Indumeni / Gorge. Grassland, Protea / Slope 19 Dec. 1979 / B. Lamoral’; 1ơ 1^, ‘R.S.A.: KZNatl #55 / Lekkerwater Farm / 28°59'S 29°24'E 1620m / Date: 19.xii.1996 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt’; 1ơ, ‘M’fongosi [28°42'S 30°48'E] / Zulu L. / WE Jones’ ~ ‘ Dec. 1914 ’ (SAMC); 1ơ 1^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Injasuti Nature Res. / 2929AB 5-11.xii.1983 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / at M/V light trap.’; 1^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Drakensberg area / Injasuti / P E Reavell 14.i.82 / Delmhlwaziwe / River’, ‘Boulder / bed scrub’; 1^, ‘R.S.A.: KZ-Natl #115 / Monks Cowl Nature Res. / 29°03'S 29°24'E 1440m / Date: 10.xii.1995 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Stream & Forest edges’; 1ơ, ‘South Africa: Natal / Drakensberg area / Giant’s Castle [29°20'S 29°29'E] / P E Reavell 17.i.82 / Bushman’s R’, ‘Submontane / grassveld / 7000m [sic]’; 1^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Drakensberg area / Giant’s Castle / P E Reavell 15.i.82’, ‘Submontane / grassveld’; 2^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Garden Castle Nat Res / Hotel area ca 1800m / 29°45'S 29°15'E / JGH Londt 6-11.i.1988 / Grassveld near stream’; 2ơ 1^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Bulwer Mountain / 2.xii.1986 SE2929DC / J. G. H. Londt / Proteas/Grassveld’; 1^, ‘South Africa: Natal / Coleford Nat. Res. / 1500m 29°59'S 29°28'E / Date 27 Nov 1986 / Coll. P.M.C. Croeser’; 1ơ, ‘Karkloof falls [29°24'S 30°16'E] / Natal 6.xi.60 / T. Schofield’; 1ơ, ‘S Africa: E. Cape #7 / 5km W of Rhodes / 30°49'S 27°55'E 1800m / Date: 5.ii.1992 Natal / Museum Expedition / grassland & ravine’; 1ơ 6^, ‘South Africa: Cape. / Rhodes area 3027DD / J. Londt + B. Stuckenberg / 9-10.i.1979 Banks of / river + hill near town’.

Notes: Oldroyd (1974) states ‘ 10 paratypes from the same locality’ as holotype (Roma Mission, Lesotho) and lists ‘Piet Retief’ as the only other locality. He gives no details of gender or repository for paratypes. There are only nine paratypes with essentially similar label data as the holotype – assuming that Oldroyd saw the material with slightly different label data (‘Valley floor Old lands’) collected over the same period as those from ‘ Upper Cave-sandstone level’ and included these in the type series. The 2^ from Piet Retief, listed at the time of description, are considered paratypes by BMNH staff. This is accepted, so there are actually 11 paratypes in all. Oldroyd (1980) incorrectly gives Botswana as the country of the type locality. This may be explained by a common confusion between the older names of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and Basutoland (now Lesotho).

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1–2, Fig. 149 ): A species associated with high altitude Grassland situations in and around the Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho and South Africa. Adults are active during the warmer summer months of October through to February when this area normally receives its rainfall. Specimens are commonly found resting on grass stalks in montane meadows. There are five Natal Museum prey records as follows: 1ơ 4^ (Cathedral Peak 1; Rhodes area 1; Lekkerwater farm 1; Monks Cowl 1; Injasuti 1) – Coleoptera ( Scarabaeidae 2), Hymenoptera ( Colletidae 1, Formicidae 1, Tiphiidae 1). In addition there are six prey records for Lesotho material in AMGS listed above.

Similar species:A member of the large and widely distributed group of species possessing a poorly defined facial gibbosity. The species is similar to ventralis in the bilobed hypandrium and downturned apandrial lobes, but is otherwise distinctive.

Figures

Figs 113–133. Gonioscelis male genitalia. 113–115. G. tomentosus Oldroyd, 1970 (34 mi. E of Kenge). 113. Lateral. 114. Dorsal. 115. Ventral. 116–118. G. truncatus Oldroyd, 1974 (Van Reenen paratype). 116. Lateral. 117. Dorsal. 118. Ventral. 119–133. G. ventralis Schiner, 1867. 119–121. Holotype. 119. Lateral. 120. Dorsal. 121. Ventral. 122–133. Gonocoxal variation. 122. Holotype. 123. Cradock (femoralis). 124. Bulawayo (rufescens). 125. Louterwater. 126. Vivo. 127. Tugela Ferry. 128. Padkloof. 129. Gravelotte. 130. Boknes. 131. Alicedale. 132. Grahamstown. 133. Mseleni. 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.

Figs 18–29. Gonioscelis male genitalia. 18–20. G. amnoni sp. n. (holotype). 18. Lateral. 19. Dorsal. 20. Ventral. 21–23. G. batyleon sp. n. (holotype). 21. Lateral. 22. Dorsal. 23. Ventral. 24–26. G. bykanistes sp. n. (Hotazel paratype). 24. Lateral. 25. Dorsal. 26. Ventral. 27–29. G. ceresae Oldroyd, 1974 (holotype). 27. Lateral. 28. Dorsal. 29. Ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.