Lasiocnemus fascipennis Engel &

Dikow, Torsten, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the genus Lasiocnemus (Loew, 1851) (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Entomology 15 (1), pp. 57-74 : 60-63

Lasiocnemus fascipennis Engel &

Cuthbertson, 1939, Figs 1 , 11 , 17 , 24

Lasiocnemus fascipennis Engel & Cuthbertson, 1939: 185 ; Janssens, 1952: 5; Hull 1962: 309; Oldroyd 1980: 357.

Lasiocnemus fascipennis Hermann, 1926: 149 in

litteris – nomen nudum

Diagnosis

The species is distinguished from congeners by its large body size, the yellow longitudinal stripe on the prothoracic tibiae, the few microtrichia in the discal cell, the wing coloration, and the presence of only short setae on the dorsal surface of the metathoracic tibiae.

Description

Head. Black; face brown pruinose, facial swelling indistinct, mystax black with a few white setae laterally, 8–15 macrosetae; proboscis and palpi black, setae black; occiput grey pruinose, setae yellow and brown. Antennae, scape brown, black setae ventrally, apruinose; pedicel brown, brown setae dorsally and ventrally, grey pruinose; postpedicel brown, grey pruinose; stylus brown, slightly shorter than postpedicel; apical ‘seta-like’ sensory element brown.

Thorax. Orange to brown, anepisternum and dorsal half of katepisternum and anepimeron grey pruinose, remaining parts brown pruinose, anepisternum setae black and katepisternum setae black or white; scutum black, red anterolaterally and anteromedially, predominantly apruinose, margins grey pruinose, surface covered with white setae, white and black setae on pruinose part; macrosetae: black, one notopleural seta, one supra-alar seta; scutellum grey pruinose, discal scutellar and scutellar setae long, black.

Legs, brown; coxa brown pruinose; prothoracic and mesothoracic femora with erect black setae, metathoracic femora with erect black setae on all surfaces, clubbed and widest sub-distally; tibiae with erect black setae on all surfaces, metathoracic tibiae with these setae longest in proximal half ventrally, prothoracic tibiae with yellow cleaning setae in distal half ventrally, metathoracic tibiae with yellow setae in distal half ventrally, prothoracic and mesothoracic tibiae with yellow stripe dorsally; tarsomeres with black setae, first metathoracic tarsomere with yellow setae posteroventrally; empodium two-thirds length of claw. Wings, length = 11.7–15.0 mm; cell d with only few microtrichia, wing pattern as in Fig. 11 ; haltere brown.

Abdomen. Black; T2–5 brown pruinose anteriorly and grey pruinose posteriorly, T6–8 bluish-grey pruinose, T 2 in proximal half with long brown setae laterally, remaining T with short white setae, S 2 in proximal half apruinose and in distal half brown pruinose, S3–4 brown pruinose, S5–8 black or bluish-grey pruinose. Male terminalia ( Fig. 1 ): ventral lobe on surstylus pointed. Female terminalia as in Fig. 17 .

Type material. The male holotype is labelled ‘Sammlung F. Hermann/ HoloType von Lasiocnemus fascipennis H.i.l. (handwritten except for ‘ Type von’; red label)/C in cop with D (handwritten; circular label) 1 ♂ (on reverse side)/Brit. O. Africa [ British East Africa = Kenya] Lasiocnemus fascipennis Type Herm (handwritten; red label with black submarginal border)/ Lasiocnemus fascipennis Herm. i. litt. (handwritten; blue label)/ Lasiocnemus Fascipennis Herm. i. litt. ♂ det. E.O. Engel (handwritten except for ‘det. E.O. Engel’; black submarginal border)/ Lasiocnemus fascipennis ♂ Eng. & Cuthb. (handwritten)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in very good condition (left mesothoracic and metathoracic legs broken), ( ZSMC).

The female paratype is labelled ‘N.W. Tanganika [possibly present-day Tanzania] Grauer. 1910/ Sammlung F. Hermann/ Type von Lasiocnemus fascipennis (species name handwritten; red label)/ Lasiocnemus Fascipennis ♀ det. E.O. Engel (handwritten except for ‘det. E.O. Engel’; black submarginal border)/ Lasiocnemus fascipennis ♀ Eng. & Cuthb. (handwritten)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (thorax cracked), ( ZSMC).

Additional material examined. DRC: 1♀ Lake Albert, 01°40’N 31°00’E, –. ix.1935; KENYA: 1♂ British East Africa (holotype); 1♂ Teso, near Bugonda, 00°32’N 34°15’E, 25.vi.1963; 1♀ Kuja Valley, S Kavirondo, 00°48’S 34°34’E, 30.iv.–1.v. 1911, 1219 m; 1? no exact locality, –.–. 1912–1913, 1219 m; MALAWI: 4♀ 2♂ Mangochi 25 km N, 14°20’S 35°16’E, 11.iii.1987; 1♀ 1? Chiromo, 16°33’S 35°08’E, –. iv. 1919, 61 m; 1♀ Monkey Bay, 14°05’S 34°55’E, 3.iii. 1944, 488 m; Nigeria: 2♀ Baro, 08°36’N 06°25’E, 14–16.x.1918; SOMALIA: 1♀ Baidoa, 03°04’N 43°48’E, 28.xi.1983; SOUTH AFRICA: 1? no locality, 25°00’S 31°00’E, 1.x.1980; 1? Maboki, near Lydenburg, 25°06’S 30°27’E, –.–.1917; 1♂ Skukuza Kr uger National Park, 2 4 ° 5 9’ S 3 1 ° 3 6’ E, 9–12.iv.1985; TANZANIA: 1♀ N.W. Tanganjika (paratype); 1♂ Tarangire National Park, 03°50’S 36°10’E, –. xii.1994; 1♀ Mkomazi Game Reserve, Ibaya Camp, 03°58’S 37°48’E, 14.iv.–3.v.1996; 3♀ Old Shinyanga, 03°33’S 33°24’E, 16.iii.1956, 22.iii.1956; 1? Old Shinyanga, 27.iv.1956; 1♀ Shinyanga, 03°40’S 33°26’E, 30.iii.1958; 1♂ Morogoro, 06°50’S 37°45’E, 1.vi.1917; 1? no exact locality; ZIMBABWE: 1♀ Harare, 17°49’S 31°02’E, 23.ii.1902. Depositories: AMNH, BMNH, FSCA, MRAC, NMSA, SAMC, ZSMC.

Remarks. This species was apparently first mentioned when Hermann (1926: 149) provided a list of species of Lasiocnemus . Because Hermann did not provide a description, definition, or indication for it, the name is originally a nomen nudum and is unavailable under the ICZN (Article 12). Engel & Cuthbertson (1939: 185) provided a description and illustrations using the same specimen that Hermann had studied from Kenya and made this specific name available. Engel & Cuthbertson (1939: 186) mentioned that the male holotype and female paratype were collected in copula, but this is not evident from the locality labels. The female specimen, in contrast to the male specimen, does not have a label with information about the association that would substantiate this observation.

Type locality, distribution and biodiversity hotspots ( Fig. 24 ). The original type locality is Kenya. Following recommendation 76 A.1.4. of the ICZN a new type locality is selected from within the range of the species. I hereby designate Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania, 03°58’S 37°48’E, in which the species has been recently collected, as type locality. DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Eastern Afromontane, Horn of Africa, Maputaland–Pondoland– Albany.

Figures

Fig. 24. Map of sub-Saharan Africa with biodiversity hotspots, shaded in grey, showing distribution of Lasiocnemus fascipennis (●), La. hyalipennis (■), La. londti (▲), and the unidentified female specimen deposited in the SAMC (★). Type localities with open symbols.

Figs 1 – 4. Male terminalia of species of Lasiocnemus in lateral view. 1, La. fascipennis; 2, La. hermanni; 3, La. hyalipennis; 4, La. obscuripennis. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs 11 – 16. Wings of species of Lasiocnemus. 11, La. fascipennis; 12, La. griseicinctipes; 13, La. hermanni; 14, La. hyalipennis; 15, La. londti; 16, La. lugens. Scale bars = 4.0 mm.

Figs 17 – 22. Female spermathecae of species of Lasiocnemus in lateral view. 17, La. fascipennis; 18, La. griseicinctipes; 19, La. hermanni; 20, La. hyalipennis; 21, La. londti; 22, La. lugens. Note: second lateral spermathecal duct and reservoir, in lateral view situated ventral to median reservoir, omitted. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.