Saropogon dasynotus Loew, 1871

Sakhvon, Vital V., 2020, Review of the genus Saropogon Loew, 1847 (Diptera: Asilidae) from Russia Transcaucasia and Central Asia, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4860 (4), pp. 577-591 : 578-579

Saropogon dasynotus Loew, 1871

Figs 2 , 27

Saropogon dasynotus Loew, 1871: 80 , type locality: Sarawschanthal [ Tajikistan]; Engel 1930: 453; Lehr 1961: 129 ( Kazakhstan); Lehr 1988: 262.

Diagnosis. Body length 10.0–18.0 mm. Mystax with dense golden macrosetae occupying the lower half of the face. Distance from upper margin of mystax to antennal sockets equal to or shorter than length of scape and pedicel combined. Face reddish brown with golden tomentum.Antenna reddish brown, but postpedicel dark brown apically; scape and pedicel with goldish and dark brown setae, postpedicel sometimes with a few black setae. First segment of palpus reddish brown, second segment dark brown. Ocellar setae golden, in length reaching the apex of pedicel; postocular macrosetae golden. Thorax black, scutum with dense yellow setae, equal to length of scape, all macrosetae golden. Scutellum with 6–8 golden apical macrosetae. Postpronotal lobe and postalar callus reddish brown, pleuron shiny, silvery tomentose on margins, without setae. Third medial cell of wing closed. Femora black with reddish yellow at apex, tibiae and tarsi reddish brown. Tergites shiny black with dense yellowish setae, tergites I–IV and sometimes tergite V, with reddish yellow stripe posteriorly covered by silvery tomentum. Hypopygium dark brown with yellow and brown setae.

Specimens examined. Kazakhstan: Turkistan Reg., Kelessky Distr., Tenteksay , [41 º 38’23’’N 68 º 20’18’’E] , 5–22.V .1957 , P. Lehr, 6♂, 8♀ (IBSS); Baymuratsay , [41 º 31’04’’N 68 º 42’00’’E], 5.VI .1958 , P. Lehr, 1♂ (IBSS); Beskotan , [41 º 17’22’’N 68 º 36’27’’E], 10.V .1959 , P. Lehr, 1♂, 2♀ (IBSS); Betpakdala , [44 º 11’8’’N 69 º 11’46’’E], 23–31.V .1959 , P. Lehr, 6♂, 7♀ (IBSS); south-eastern Kyzylkum , [41 º 47’8’’N 67 º 42’58’’E], 13–22.VI .1961 , P. Lehr, 2♂, 3♀ (IBSS); same place, 18–24.V .1961 , G. Nikolaev, 2♀ (IBSS). Uzbekistan: Nuratau Mount., Yamchisay, [40 º 14’10’’N 67 º 15’16’’E] , 12.VI .1960 , P. Lehr, 2♀ (IBSS); same place, 8–10.VII.1960, P. Lehr, 2♂ ( IBSS); S Samarkand , [39 º 31’45’’N 67 º 4’45’’E] , 7.VII.1952, Bronshtein, 1♀ ( IBSS) . Tajikistan: Karatau Mts. , [38 º 1’46’’N 69 º 4’54’’E] , 9.VI .1960 , I. Lopatin, 2♀ (IBSS). 10 km N Garavuti, Vakhsh Riv. , [37 º 35’37’’N 68 º 27’40’’E], 1– 2.V .1987 , A. Lelej, N. Kurzenko, 18♂, 9♀ (IBSS, BSU). Ura-Tjube, Shahristan , [39 o 46’37’’N 68 o 48’47’’E] , 11.VII.1971, P. Lehr, 1♀ ( IBSS). Nosiri Khusrav Distr. , S. Aktau, [37 o 9’48’’N 67 o 59’29’’E] , 14.IV.1977, G. Nikolaev, 1♀ ( IBSS). Shahrtuz Distr., Shahrtuz , [37 o 13’28’’N 68 o 9’23’’E] , 15–16.IV.1977, G. Nikolaev, 4♂, 2♀ ( IBSS). Tigrovaya Balka Res. , [37 o 15’37’’N 68 o 27’36’’E] , 21.IV.1978, Baratov, 2♂ ( IBSS). Khatlon Reg., Levakant, Tabak- chi Mts. , [37 º 55’46’’N 68 º 54’9’’E] , 4.V .2007 , O. Pak, 1♂ (BSU).

Prey. Coreidae (Heteroptera) (1), Scarabaeidae ( Blytopertha variabilis (1); Alliculidae (1)), Braconidae (1), Mutillidae (1), Apidae (9) ( Lehr 1964a); Calliptamus turanicus (Acrididae) ( Mishchenko 1952); Apidae (1), Hemictenius nigrociliatus (2) ( Melolonthidae ) (unpublished data).

Distribution. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Turkey.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Distribution of Saropogon species in Russia, Transcaucasia and Central Asia (based on the available material and Abbassian-Lintzen 1964, Richter 1968, Mohammadi et al. 2017).

FIGURES 1–6. Saropogon, habitus, lateral view. 1. S. alternatus, male. 2. S. dasynotus, male. 3. S. geniculatus, female. 4. S. megriensis, male. 5. S. pittoproctus, female. 6. S. tajikistanensis, sp. nov., female, holotype.