Astochia silva, Londt, Jason G. H., 2019

Londt, Jason G. H., 2019, A revision of Afrotropical Astochia Becker, 1913 with descriptions of three new species (Diptera, Asilidae, Asilini), African Invertebrates 60 (2), pp. 215-237 : 224-225

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.60.38432

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CA0D0E03-36BF-45F9-93BB-844C1CF1BD64

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/89AFBD7E-DEF4-4F04-A8C3-656E9BCF265C

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:89AFBD7E-DEF4-4F04-A8C3-656E9BCF265C

treatment provided by

African Invertebrates by Pensoft

scientific name

Astochia silva
status

sp. nov.

Astochia silva sp. nov. Figs 13 View Figure 13 , 14 View Figure 14 , 15-18 View Figures 15–18 , 19 View Figure 19 , 26 View Figure 26

Etymology.

L. silva (sylva) f. woods, trees, forest. Named after the forest habitat occupied by this species.

Description.

Based on all material studied. Entire holotype as illustrated ( Fig. 13 View Figure 13 ).

Head: Dark red-brown to black, dull gold pruinose, black and yellow setose. Antenna dark red-brown to black, scape and pedicel black setose, postpedicel slightly laterally compressed. Relative lengths of segments (scape as 1) scape 1, pedicel 0.64, postpedicel 1.78, style 1.42 (0.14: 1.14: 0.14 - composed of a tiny basal element followed by a long, thin, stylus tipped with a tiny seta-like sensory element). Face black, ventral half protuberant, entirely strongly gold pruinose. Mystax mainly black with some yellow macrosetae centrally on epistomal margin, confined to protuberance. Frons black, gold pruinose. Vertex black, gold pruinose, strongly concave. Ocellar tubercle weakly pruinose, with c. 10 moderately developed ocellar macrosetae. Occiput uniformly gold pruinose, black (dorsally and along dorsal eye margins) and fine pale yellow to cream (ventrally) setose. Palps dark red-brown, single segmented, black (distally) and pale yellow (proximally) setose. Proboscis dark red-brown to black, straight, pale yellow setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, gold pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Antepronotum dark red-brown, gold pruinose, black setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown to black, patterned with gold pruinescence (central longitudinal stripe and lateral patches dull apruinose), entirely black setose. Lateral macrosetae black (2 notopleurals, 2 supra-alars, 2 postalars). Scutellum dark red-brown to black, entirely gold pruinose, with 6 (4 in paratypes) black apical macrosetae, disc fine black setose. Pleura dark red-brown to black, entirely gold pruinose, fine black and yellow setose. Katatergal setae moderately well developed, black. Anatergites fine black setose. Postmetacoxal area membranous.

Legs: Entirely black (♀ has orange tibiae with black distal ends). Coxae gold pruinose, mostly shiny yellow setose. Trochanters weakly yellow setose. Femora black (dorsally) and yellow (ventrally) setose. Tibiae and tarsi entirely black setose. Claws, pulvilli and empodia well developed.

Wings ( Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ) Length (humeral crossvein to tip) × breadth (maximum): Holotype ♂ 10.8 × 3.8 mm, paratype ♀ 12.8 × 3.9 mm, paratype ♂ 10.5 × 3.6 mm. Veins dark red-brown to black, membrane transparent, marginally microtrichose, centrally lacking microtrichia, cells m 3 and cua closed and stalked.

Abdomen: ♂ - dark red-brown to black, almost entirely gold pruinose (terminalia apruinose), mostly yellow setose (T1 and genitalia black and yellow setose). ♀ - as ♂ but T1-5 pruinose, T6-9 telescopic and apruinose).

Male terminalia ( Figs 15-17 View Figures 15–18 ): Unrotated. S8 with posterior region greatly extended distally, almost twice as long as broad in ventral view ( Fig. 17 View Figures 15–18 ). Epandrium 3 × longer than wide in lateral view ( Fig. 15 View Figures 15–18 ), deeply incised dorsomedially with left and right sides narrowly joined near base; distal ends narrowed to form fairly elongate, convergent lobes. Hypandrium relatively small with slightly projecting, broad, ventral lobes ( Fig. 17 View Figures 15–18 ). Gonocoxite subtriangular in lateral view with some what elongate, distally rounded lobes ( Fig. 15 View Figures 15–18 ). Gonostylus well developed, dorsally directed ( Fig. 15 View Figures 15–18 ).

Female terminalia ( Fig. 18 View Figures 15–18 - not dissected): Ovipositor telescopic and comprising segments 6-9.

Type material.

Holotype. Kenya: ♂ 'Kenya: W Kakamega #73 / Kakamega Forest Reserve / 00°22'N, 34°53'E 1620m / Date: 24.xi.1992 / A Whittington & J Londt / Indigenous forest paths’, 'Prey Identification / Order: Diptera / Family: Calliphoridae / Other: ... / Det: JGH Londt’, 'Asilprey 001895', ‘NMSA-DIP-106722’, 'Asilprey 001895' (NMSA).

Paratypes. Kenya. 1♂ 1♀: Same collecting data as holotype. 1♂ ‘NMSA-DIP-106723’; 1♀ ‘NMSA-DIP-106724’ (NMSA), 1♀ 'Brit. E. Afr. / S.E. Slopes / of Kenya [Mount Kenya c. 0°09'S, 37°19'E] / 6,000-7,000 ft. [c. 1980 m] / Feb. 3-12, 1911. / S.A. Neave’, 'E preying / on F’, 'Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / 1921 –9.’, ' Astochia sp. / det J.G.H. Londt, 1981' - Prey pinned alongside 'Brit. E. Afr. / S.E, Slopes / of Kenya / 6,000-7,000 ft. / Feb. 3-12, 1911. / S.A. Neave’, 'F prey / of E [ Coleoptera : Staphylinidae ]', 'Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / 1921 –9.’ (BMNH). Paratype. Burundi: 1♀ 'Burundi, Bururi / National Forest / 1955m. 3.93022S, 29.61697°E [03°55'49"S, 29°37'01"E 2010m]', 'Malaise trap, edge of / indigenous forest / 23 Mar - 6 Apr 2014 / R. Copeland’ (ICIPE).

Distribution, phenology and biology.

Recorded from Kenya and Burundi ( Fig. 26 View Figure 26 ). Collected from November to March (Table 1 View Table ); no records for December and January. Found associated with indigenous forests. Fig. 19 View Figure 19 shows the habitat in which the species has been found in the Bururi National Forest, Burundi. Two prey items are associated with specimens ( Coleoptera : Staphylinidae , Diptera : Calliphoridae ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Asilidae

Genus

Astochia