Afroholopogon chirundu, 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 : 215-216

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.7666864
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7667229
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CF1787E3-FFC1-FFD0-EBC2-FE3DFEC3E10F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Afroholopogon chirundu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Afroholopogon chirundu View in CoL sp. n.

Figs 23–25 View Figs 20–32 , 77 View Fig

Etymology: A noun in apposition based on the name of the type locality.

Description: Based on holotype.

Head: Antenna: Scape and pedicel orange-brown, rest dark brown, fine silver pruinose, white setose; segmental formula 1.0:1.0:3.6:0.4:2.1. Face bark red-brown, entirely strongly silver pruinose, mystax white, well developed ventrally weakly developed dorsally but extending almost to antennal sockets. Face width:head width ratio 1.0:4.8. Frons and vertex dark red-brown, strongly silver pruinose, tiny white setose. Occiput dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, short white setose. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, white setose.

Thorax: Mesonotum dark red-brown, postpronotal and postalar lobes orange-brown, apruinose except for extensive silver parts as follows – board lateral margin, most of postpronotal lobe and adjacent areas, posterior margin which has an anteriorly directed strip that extends for a short distance past transverse suture. Setation: ac – white (long postsuture); dc – white (long postsuture); npl – 2 short yellow-white; sa – 1 weak white macroseta amongst white setae; pa – 1 weak white macroseta amongst white setae. Scutellum dark red-brown, largely silver pruinose but with central apruinose area, disc asetose, margin with approx. 8 fine white macrosetae. Pleura dark red-brown, silver pruinose except for bare area on katepisternum, long wavy white setose. Wing 5.1 x 2.1 mm, pale brown-yellow, microtrichia weak proximally moderately developed distally, basal angle of r 4 23°. Halter brown with mustard yellow knob. Legs: cx redbrown, silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters red-brown; fem brown-orange, white setose; tib brown-orange, mainly white setose (few black distoventrally); tar brownorange, mixed black and white setose.

Abdomen: Terga dark red-brown, somewhat apruinose with silver areas becoming more extensive distally, white setose. Sterna dark red-brown, entirely silver pruinose, long white setose. Genitalia: Holotype not dissected, paratype ơ illustrated ( Figs 23–25 View Figs 20–32 ): Hypopygium rotated through about 180°; epand (in dorsal view) deeply incised medially to form two distally slightly diverging and rounded lobes joined narrowly basally; goncx externally distally bilobed, lobes of distinctive shape; hypd (in lateral view) projecting distally beyond level attained by goncx and epand, gradually tapering (in ventral view) to a single broad medial and dorsally upturned (in lateral view) process.

Variation: Sexes similar. Variation is minimal. The female paratype, however, with a wing-length of 7.8 mm, is somewhat larger than the other specimens.

Type specimens: SOUTH AFRICA: 1^ 1? paratypes ‘ Moorddrift [Siding 2417S 2857E]. / Oct., 1907 / C.J. Swierstra .’. ZIMBABWE: ơ holotype, 1ơ paratype, ‘Country: Rhodesia / Loc. Chirundu [1602S 2851E] / Date: 21-8-1965 / Coll R. Borthwick’, ‘ Heteropogon / sp. Nov. / det. H. Oldroyd 1973 ’.

Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known only from two widely separated localities ( Fig. 77 View Fig ). The species flies from August to October (no records for September).

Similar species: Distinctive, but considered most similar to fugax , tanystylos and xeros (see discussion).