Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Lehr

Young, Charles L., 2007, Robber flies of South Korea IV. Species of the subfamily Stichopogoninae Hardy, 1930 (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1521, pp. 43-58 : 52-53

Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Lehr

( Figs. 19, 20 , 25, 26 )

Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis Lehr, 1975: 435 .

Small gray flies, 3.5– 5 mm. The species is easily recognized by the reddish, or light beige colored antenna and legs. These are the smallest of the South Korean asilids.

Adult. Male.

Head: Face silver/white tomentose with sparse hair; vertex gray pollinose with dark spots, occiput gray. Mystax hair white. Sparse long white parafacial hair. Abundant white occipital bristles merging into sparse long white postocular bristles. Sparse long white orbital and ocellar hair. Antenna red/brown. Pedicel (segment 2) with short brown bristles; medial apex of 1st flagellomere (segment 3) bifid with 2 long brown bristles. Relative length of segments: 3>F2+3>2>1. Thorax: Scutum with dorsocentral stripes enclosing a triangular brown patch. All bristles yellow. Dorsocentral hair sparse: weak anteriors merging into 5–8 longer posteriors. Chaetotaxy with 3 weak posthumeral hairs, 1 presutural, 1 supraalar, and 1 postalar bristle, all yellow, strong. Scutellum covered in gray pollen; margin thickened, disc ringed with fine sparse, yellow hair. Pleura bright silver tomentose. A row of strong, white katatergal bristles. Posterior margin of anepimeron with sparse white bristles. Legs: Silver and tinged red. Femora silver/gray pollinose with white hair. Tibiae light red pollinose on basal two thirds, apical third silver/gray pollinose; hind tibia with less red, all with white hair. Tarsi darker red with strong white bristles. Wings: Veins red/brown. Halter deep yellow/orange. Abdomen: Male. Brown pollinose with sparse, short white hair. Tergite 1 dark gray pollinose, medially brown; long white lateral hair. Lateral margins of tergites 1–6 silver/gray pollinose. Tergites 2–7 dark brown medially, lighter brown laterally; short weak yellow lateral bristles. Tergite 8 and dorsal epandrium silver/gray pollinose. Sternites gray pollinose with long white decumbent hair. Male genitalia ( Figs 19 , 25 & 26 ).

Female. Tibiae less pigmented, darker apically. Tergite 1 gray, faint medial brown basally and medially. Tergites 2–7 darker brown medially and laterally; basal lateral margins gray. Female genitalia ( Fig. 20 ): Subgenital plate yellow and gray pollinose with a minute tuft of excised apical gold hair.

Variation. In 2 males and 2 females collected from the T’aean-Gun location, the red, or light beige colored legs and antenna appear more yellow.

Material examined. Chungcheongnam Province. 6ɗ, 10Ψ: 18/VI/2006, T’aean-Gun, Wonbuk-Myon, Shindu, 36°50’65”N, 126°11’65”E. 2ɗ, 7Ψ: 1/VI/2006, Sochon-Gun, Ch’unjangdae Beach, 36°11’97”N, 126°32’36”E.

Field notes. Stichopogon elegantulus orientalis appears on sand beaches along South Korea’s west coast, slightly inland from the tidal, littoral zone. Prey: Diptera :? Dolichopodidae . Homoptera: Aphididae . 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.