Choerades multipunctata (Oldroyd, 1974)

Londt, Jason G. H. & Dikow, Torsten, 2019, A review of Southern African Choerades Walker, 1851 with the description of a new species (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 60 (1), pp. 31-65 : 45-49

Choerades multipunctata (Oldroyd, 1974) Figs 6, 21-22, 23-24, 28

Laphria multipunctata Oldroyd, 1974: 102.

Choerades multipunctata : Londt 1977: 47.

Redescription.

Based on material examined and photos of BMNH specimens. The entire lectotype male specimen is shown in Figs 21-22.

Head: Black, weakly silver pubescent, black and white (few) setose. Antenna black, scape and pedicel black setose. Face black, weakly silver pubescent laterally, depressed centrally. Mystax black (a few fine white setae may be present along epistomal margin), macrosetae confined to elevated parts of facial protuberance. Lateral parts of face with small groups of glistening silvery scale-like setae. Frons and vertex shiny apubescent, largely asetose except for black setae adjacent to eye margins. Ocellar tubercle prominent, weakly setose except for a pair of strong black ocellar macrosetae. Occiput largely apubescent except for narrow strips along eye margins, black setose (few small white setae ventrally). Palps black and white setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, punctate, weakly silver pubescent, black setose. Cervical sclerite black setose. Mesonotum punctate, almost entirely apubescent (small silver pubescent spots adjacent to postpronotal lobes), black setose. Lateral macrosetae black (1 notopleural, 2 supra-alars, 1-2 weak postalars). Scutellum black, punctate, apubescent, fine black setose, c. 2 small black apical scutellar macrosetae. Pleura mostly apubescent (weak silver pruinescence may be evident in places), black setose. 1 black anepisternal macroseta. Katatergal setae well-developed, black. Anatergites weakly silver pubescent, asetose.

Legs: Almost entirely black except for proximal three quarters of tibiae which are yellow, black setose except for yellow setae associated with yellow parts of tibiae, all segments apubescent.

Wings (Fig. 6): Length (humeral crossvein to tip) x breadth (maximum): ♂ 6.3 × 2.5 - 7.8 × 3.4 mm (mean - 5 specimens) 7.2 × 2.9 mm, ♀ 5.4 × 2.3 - 8.1 × 3.2 mm (mean - 4 specimens) 7.1 × 2.9 mm. Veins brown to dark red-brown, membrane transparent, almost entirely brown microtrichose, only proximal parts of basal cells somewhat devoid of microtrichia.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, punctate, apubescent, black setose. T1 with 2-4 black discal macrosetae.

Terminalia: ♂ terminalia as in Figs 23, 24. Rotated through 180°. Epandrium weakly bilobed distally bearing c. 7 long, well-developed, laterally situated macrosetae on both sides. Proctiger extending far beyond epandrium, with elongate ventral lamellae. Gonocoxites well-developed, distally bifurcate, ventral lobe bearing short, closely associated and probably fused macrosetae (typical of the genus) distally. Dorsal lobes dorsoventrally flattened and downturned distally. Gonocoxites with a pair of exceptionally long, closely associated, twisted macrosetae (each appearing oval in cross-section). Gonostyli project well beyond dorsal lobes of gonocoxites and also possess dorsoventrally flattened and downturned distal ends. Hypandrium apparently entirely wanting. Aedeagus elongate with trifurcate tip.

Material examined.

SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ 'Paleisheuwel [Road c. 32°31'08"S, 18°51'42"E 460m] / C.P.' ~ 'Mus. Exp. / Nov. 1948', SAM-DIP-A007985 (SAMC); 1♀ Paralectotype '7 [Seven] Weeks Poort [c. 33°22'05"S, 21°24'47"E 1015m] / C.P., 17-xi-1940 / G van Son’, 'Collection / Transvaal / Museum’, 'Laphria / multipunctata Oldr / det. H. Oldroyd 1972', NMSA-DIP-08856 (NMSA)*; 1♂ ‘Cloete’s Pass [c. 33°57'33"S, 21°47'50"E 310m] / Oct. 1937', SAM-DIP-A007986 (SAMC).

Material not examined.

Photos supplied by the BMNH confirm the identifications of the following specimens and provide the following detailed information. As Oldroyd (1974) failed to designate a holotype, all the material handled by him should be considered syntypes (and all but one were labelled as such by Chainey in 1984). For taxonomic stability we hereby designate a BMNH male collected at Matjiesfontein between 6-15.x.1928 as Lectotype (NHMUK012804995). Oldroyd’s other specimens are considered Paralectotypes as indicated below (and above), except for the male from Worcester as this locality was not listed by Oldroyd (1974). SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ Lectotype 'S. Africa / R.E. Turner / Brit. Mus. / 1928 - 480', 'Cape Province / Matjesfontein. [Matjiesfontein c. 33°13'51"S, 20°34'58"E 900m] / 6 –15.x.1928’, 'Laphria / multipunctata sp. n. / det. H. Oldroyd, 1958', 'Syntype / Laphria / multipunctata Oldroyd / det J.E. Chainey, 1984' ‘NHMUK012804995’ (BMNH); 2♂ Paralectotypes 'S. Africa / R.E. Turner / Brit. Mus. / 1928 - 491', 'Cape Province / Matjesfontein. / 22 –23.x.1928’, 'Laphria / multipunctata sp.n. / det. H. Oldroyd, 1958', 'Syntype / Laphria / multipunctata Oldroyd / det J.E. Chainey, 1984' 'NHMUK012804991 & 7'(BMNH); 2♂ 1♀ Paralectotypes 'S. Africa / R.E. Turner / Brit. Mus. / 1928 - 499', 'Cape Province / Matjesfontein. / 25 –30.x.1928’, 'Laphria / multipunctata sp.n. / det. H. Oldroyd, 1958', 'Syntype / Laphria / multipunctata Oldroyd / det. J.E, Chainey, 1984' 'NHMUK012804992 [♂], NHMUK012804993 [♀] & NHMUK012804996 [♂]' (BMNH); 1♂ 'S. Africa / R.E. Turner. / Brit. Mus. / 1928-491', 'Cape Province: / Worcester [c. 33°39'14"S, 19°27'42"E 245m]. / 2 –4.x.1928’ ‘NHMUK012804994’ (BMNH); no type status.

Note: Although Oldroyd clearly recognised this distinctive species as early as 1958, it remained undescribed until 1974.

Distribution, phenology and biology.

A relatively poorly-collected South African endemic known from only five localities in the Western Cape Province (Fig. 28). Material has been collected in October and November. Nothing is known of the preferred habitat, but the localities suggest vegetated valleys in areas dominated by Cape macchia vegetation. C. multipunctata is endemic to two biodiversity hotspots sensu Conservation International. It occurs primarily within the Cape Floristic Region biodiversity hotspot, but is also distributed within the Succulent Karoo biodiversity hotspot. Nothing is known of the biology.