Afroholopogon dasys, Londt, 2005

Londt, Jason G. H., 2005, A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 46 (1937), pp. 203-252 : 216-217

Afroholopogon dasys sp. n.

Figs 26–29 Etymology: Gr. dasys (hairy). Refers to the numerous setae along the scutellar margin.

Description: Based on holotype.

Head: Antenna: dark red-brown, fine gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; segmental formula 1.0:1.0:2.9:0.1:1.2. Face black, entirely strongly silver pruinose, mystax pale yellow, extending to antennal sockets. Face width:head width ratio 1.0:4.3. Frons and vertex black, frons gold-silver pruinose vertex apruinose, pale yellow setose. Occiput dark red-brown, entirely gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, pale yellow setose.

Thorax: Mesonotum black, gold pruinose except for extensive apruinose spots and stripes as follows – broad anterior stripes on either side of narrow medial pruinose strip that reach level of transverse suture, broad mediolateral band extending from, and including postpronotal lobe, to posterior margin (this apruinose band broken by narrow pruinose strip lying along transverse suture), setae longish with wavy tips. Setation: ac – fine pale yellow with wavy tips; dc – fine pale yellow with wavy tips (long postsuture); npl – 2 yellow; sa – 1 yellow; pa – 2 yellow. Scutellum black, entirely apruinose, disc asetose, margin with approx. 50 pale yellow setae arranged in 2–3 rows. Pleura black, silver-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose.Wing 3.9 x 1.7 mm, transparent, slightly yellow, microtrichia cover entire membrane, basal angle of r 4 20°. Halter light brown with yellow-brown knob. Legs: cx dark red-brown, weak gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; trochanters black; fem dark red-brown with narrow brown-orange distal tip, pale yellow setose; tib orange-brown, pale yellow setose (few black ventrodistally); tar red-brown, dark red-brown setose.

Abdomen: Terga black, shiny apruinose except for silver-gold areas posterolaterally, pale yellow setose (longer laterally). Sterna dark red-brown, entirely silver-gold pruinose, long pale yellow setose. Genitalia of holotype not macerated but appearing to conform closely with the illustrated paratype ( Figs 26–29 ): Hypopygium unrotated; epand (in dorsal view) short (shorter than distally projecting proc), shallowly incised to form short distolateral lobes; goncx externally distally unilobed and projecting (in lateral view) to a level beyond that reached by either hypd or epand (tip of left gonostylus broken off); hypd (in lateral view) of moderate length, slightly clavate distally and (in ventral view) tapering gradually to a truncate and slightly medially indented end.

Variation: Female similar to male but setae generally paler (white).

Type specimens: OMAN: ơ holotype, ‘ Dhofar 670 m. / Qara Hills [approx. 1700N 5345E] / North slopes / 22.9.1977 / K. Guichard’ ( BMNH) ; 1ơ paratype, ‘ Abdelkuri I: [‘Abd al Kuri 1219N 5222E] / North Shore / S. L. / 7.v.1967 / K. Guichard’ ( BMNH) . ERITREA: 1^ paratype, ‘Eritrea: / W. Ancober / near Keren [1547N 3828E] / 8.x.1957 / D.J. Greathead. ’ ( BMNH) .

Notes on localities: Gazeteers suggest that ‘ Dhofar’ is the name of a province in Oman (but should be cited as ‘Zufar’). As there is a mountainous area NW of Salalah, Oman, called Qara, it is assumed that the holotype was collected there. The name ‘Abdelkuri’ should apparently read ‘Abd al Kuri’ or ‘Abd al-Kuri’ and is apparently part of Yemen, not Oman as the label states .

Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known from a locality believed to be in Oman, the island of Abd al-Kuri lying beween Somalia and Socotra, and from a single locality in Eritrea.All these places border the Palaearctic Region.The specimens were collected in May, September and October. Biology unknown.

Similar species: A. pardosoros and uranopia (see discussion).

Figures

Figs 20–32. Afroholopogon species, male genitalia: (20–22) A. capensis (Lindner, 1961), 9 km SW Willowmore: (20) lateral, (21) dorsal, (22) ventral; (23–25) A. chirundu sp. n., paratype, Chirundu: (23) lateral, (24) dorsal, (25) ventral; (26–29) A. dasys sp. n., paratype, Abd al-Kuri: (26) lateral, (27) right gonocoxite, (28) dorsal, (29) ventral; (30–32) A. fugax (Loew, 1858), Willowmore: (30) lateral, (31) dorsal, (32) ventral. Arrows indicate broken gonostylus. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.