Stichopogon cf. inaequalis Loew

Young, Charles L., 2007, Robber flies of South Korea IV. Species of the subfamily Stichopogoninae Hardy, 1930 (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1521, pp. 43-58 : 53-54

Stichopogon cf. inaequalis Loew

( Figs. 21, 22 , 27, 28 )

Stichopogon inaequalis Loew, 1847: 505 .

Small dark flies, 6–8 mm. The species is recognized by the tergites with a relatively bare or asetose appearance; the dark legs and antenna with silvery/white hair and bristles; and the distinctive female fringe of hair occupying almost the entire dorsal edge of the subgenital plate ( Fig. 22 ). Lehr (1984a) notes the tuft of hair on the female subgenital plate differs from European species described by Oldroyd (1948), and those of India and Sri Lanka (Joseph & Parui, 1998).

Adult. Male.

Head: Face silver/white tomentose; vertex silver/gray tomentose, dark laterally, occiput bright silver tomentose. Mystax hair white. Dense thick short white parafacial hair with the 4–5 long trailing white hairs. Abundant white ventral occipital hair merging into sparse white postocular bristles. Sparse yellow orbital and ocellar hair. Antenna black with silver/white pollen: Scape covered completely in pollen; pedicel pollinose at apex; 1st flagellomere pollinose medially only; 2nd flagellomere completely pollinose; 3rd flagellomere bare brown. Relative lengths of segments: 3>F2+3>2>1. Thorax: Scutum with feint brown medial stripe; darker acrostical stripes surrounded by brown pollinose intermediate spots. Bristles yellow and white. Weak white dorsocentral hair not different from surrounding acrostical hair; sparse long posteriors. Chaetotaxy with 1 presutural, 1 supraalar, and 2 postalar bristles. Scutellum covered in silver tomentum; margin thickened, disc ringed with very fine sparse white hair. Pleura bright silver tomentose. A row of weak white katatergal bristles. Posterior margin of anepimeron with sparse white hair. Legs: Black integument; silver/gray pollinose with white hair and bristles. All femora with long to short fringes of white ventral hair. Hind tibia darkened on medial half. Wings: Veins tinged red. Abdomen: Male. Tergites with a relatively bare or asetose appearance. Tergite 1 gray pollinose, darkened medially with long white lateral hair. Tergites 2–7 with lateral triangular shaped wedges of gray pollen contrasting against black/brown integument. Dorsal epandrium brown with gray pollen and white hair. Male genitalia ( Figs 21 , 27 & 28 ).

Female. Similar to male except tergite 8 covered in gray pollen. Female genitalia ( Fig. 22 ): Subgenital plate dark brown with prominent gold tuft of hair occupying almost the entire dorsal edge.

Material examined. Kyonggi Province. 1ɗ, 1Ψ: 1/VII/2005, Nam–myon, Hongch’on R. (West), 37°42’84N, 127°35’73”E. 2 Ψ: Same data except: 24/VI/2006.

Field notes. Stichopogon inaequalis was collected on the sandy shores of the Hongch’on River along fresh water inlets where the current and air movement was slower than the surrounding, larger river. The asilid is sympatric with Lasiopogon terneicus and Stichopogon nartshukae as well as overlapping flight period with the latter. See Table 1 for prey and seasonality.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 24. 19. Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Male; 20. Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Female; 21. Stichopogon inaequalis Male; 22. Stichopogon inaequalis Female; 23. Stichopogon nartshukae Male; 24. Stichopogon nartshukae Female.

FIGURES 25 – 30. 25. Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Gonopod; 26. Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Aedeagus; 27. Stichopogon inaequalis Gonopod; 28. Stichopogon inaequalis Aedeagus; 29. Stichopogon nartshukae Gonopo; 30. Stichopogon nartshukae Aedeagus.