Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes Speiser, 1913

Dikow, Torsten, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the genus Lasiocnemus (Loew, 1851) (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Entomology 15 (1), pp. 57-74 : 63-66

Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes Speiser, 1913 ,

Figs 12 , 18 , 23

Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes Speiser, 1913: 141 ; Janssens 1952: 5; Hull 1962: 309; Oldroyd 1980: 357.

Lasiocnemus anthracinus Janssens, 1952: 5 , 9; Hull 1962: 309; Oldroyd 1980: 357, syn. n.

Diagnosis

The species is distinguished from congeners by the bluish-black, predominantly apruinose mesonotum, the white transverse band in the distal part of the wing, the entirely long, predominantly black setae on the femora and tibiae, and its distribution in western Africa.

Description

Head. Black; face silver pruinose, facial swelling indistinct, mystax black, four macrosetae; proboscis and palpi black, setae black; occiput grey pruinose, setae black in dorsal half and white in ventral half. Antennae, scape brown, brown setae ventrally, apruinose; pedicel brown, brown setae dorsally and ventrally, grey pruinose; postpedicel brown, grey pruinose; stylus brown, stylus and postpedicel about equal length; apical ‘seta-like’ sensory element brown.

Thorax. Black, anepisternum and dorsal half of katepisternum and anepimeron grey pruinose, remaining parts brown pruinose, anepisternum setae black and katepisternum setae white; scutum bluish-black, predominantly apruinose, margins grey pruinose, surface covered with black setae, black setae on pruinose part; macrosetae: black, one notopleural seta, one supra-alar seta; scutellum grey pruinose, discal scutellar and scutellar setae long, brown. Legs, dark brown; coxa brown pruinose; prothoracic and mesothoracic femora with erect black setae anteriorly and dorsally, metathoracic femora with erect black setae on all surfaces, clubbed and widest sub-distally; tibiae with erect black setae on all surfaces, prothoracic tibiae with brown cleaning setae in distal half ventrally, metathoracic tibiae with black setae, a few white setae proximally and distally; tarsomeres with black setae, first metathoracic tarsomere with brown setae posteroventrally; empodium about half length of claw. Wings, length = 4.5–8.0 mm; cell d with only few microtrichia, wing pattern as in Fig. 12 ; haltere brown.

Abdomen. Black; T in proximal two-thirds brown pruinose and in distal one-third grey pruinose, T 2 in proximal half with long black setae laterally, remaining T with short brown setae on brown pruinose area and white setae on grey pruinose area, S2 apruinose medially remaining part brown pruinose, S3–4 apruinose proximally and brown pruinose distally, S5–8 brown pruinose with grey pruinose distal corners. Male terminalia unknown. Female terminalia as in Fig. 18 .

Type material. The female lectotype, here designated to preserve taxonomic stability and make more universal the use of this name, is labelled ‘ Kamerun Duala –. VII.1912 v. Rothkirch coll. (blue label)/ Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes p. Speiser det.? type (handwritten except for ‘P. Speiser det.’)/ Spec. typ. no. (red label)/ LECTOTYPE Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes Speiser, 1913 by T. Dikow 2005 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition, ( MZHF).

The female holotype of Lasiocnemus anthracinus is labelled ‘ Congo – belge Eala – vii – 1936 J. Ghesquière/R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I.G. 10.482/(label with gender symbol)/E. Janssens det., 1951 Lasiocnemus anthracinus E. Janssens (year and species name + author handwritten)/ Type (red label with black submarginal border)/ cf. Bull. Inst. Sc. Nat. Belg. XXVIII, 1952 no 24, p. 9, Fig. 4 ’. The specimen is double-mounted (minuten in block of foam) and is in relatively good condition (right wing, right mesothoracic leg, and metathoracic legs broken), ( ISNB).

The female paratype of Lasiocnemus anthracinus is labelled ‘ Congo – belge Eala – iv – 1936 J. Ghesquière/R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I.G. 10.482/ (label with gender symbol)/E. Janssens det., 1951 Lasiocnemus anthracinus E. Janssens (year and species name + author handwritten)/ Paratype (red label with black submarginal border)/ cf. Bull. Inst. Sc. Nat. Belg. XXVIII, 1952 no. 24, p. 9, Fig. 4 (issue, year, page and figure number handwritten)’. The specimen is double-mounted (minuten in block of foam) and is in good condition (right wing damaged, right postpedicel broken), ( ISNB).

Additional material examined. CAMEROON: 1♀ Douala, 04°02’N 009°42’E, –.vii.19121 (lectotype); DRC: 1♀ Eala, 00°04’N 018°17’E, –. vii.1936, Eala; 1♀ Eala, –. iv.1936; IVORY COAST: 1♂ Abidjan, 17 km NW, 05°26’N 004°08’W, 2–8.xi.1971; 1? Maraoué National Park, 28 km W Bouaflé, 06°59’N 005°54’W, 19.iv.1989; 1♀ Banco National Park, N Abidjan, 05°22’N 004°03’W, 23–27.iv.1989; NIGERIA: 1? Olokemeji, 07°20’N 004°03’E. Depositories: CSCA, ISNB, MZHF, NMSA, USNM.

Remarks. Speiser (1913: 141) described this species from four specimens (3♀, 1♂), but only a single female syntype, here designated as the lectotype, could be found in the many museum collections studied.

Type locality, distribution and biodiversity hotspot ( Fig. 23 ): Cameroon, Douala, 04°02’N 009°42’E. Cameroon, DRC, Ivory Coast, Nigeria. Guinean Forests of West Africa.

Figures

Fig. 23. Map of sub-Saharan Africa with biodiversity hotspots, shaded in grey, showing distribution of Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes (■), La. hermanni (▲), La. lugens (●) and La. obscuripennis (★). Type localities with open symbols.

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.

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.