Daspletis placodes, Londt, 1983

Londt, Jason G. H., 1983, The Genus Daspletis Loew, 1858 And The Description Of Two New Genera, Anasillomos And Remotomyia (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 46 (2), pp. 283-308 : 293-294

Daspletis placodes spec. nov. Figs 16-18

Derivation: Gr. plakos — anything fiat and wide. Refers to the fiat lateral flanges of the fused gonocoxites.

Description: Agrees closely with the description of D. hirtur except for the following points:

Head: å antenna dark brown except distal half of first flagellomere which is brown-orange.

Thorax: Hind 1 or 2 supra-alar bristles of å often dark brown or black (all yellowish in hírtus). Legs: å with legs dark red-brown except for distal tips of femora which are yellow. Q with dark red-brown tibiae and tarsi (tibiae with proximal parts more orange-brown), femora mostly orange-brown but with dorsal parts dark redbrown. Wings: 8,4,— 9,9 mm long: 2,7-3,2 mm wide. Cell cup closed on wing margin.

Abdomen: å genitalia as in Figs 16- 18 . Fused gonocoxites with laterally projecting shiny apilose flanges.

Variation: only minor sexual dimorphism as in hirtus.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. SOUTH AFRICA: Transvaal: 6 ♂ 6♀ (holotype ♂ and paratypes), Soutpan, Soutpansberge , 2229CD, 23- 24. ii. 198 0, J. Londt & L. Schoeman, Bushveld vegetation ( NM) ; 1 ♂ (paratype), Soutparı, Soutpansberge , 1 0. iv. 1 9 79, L. Schoeman ( NM) ; 1 ♂ 1♀ (paratypes), 6 km N of Vivo , 2229CC, 23-24. ii. 198 0, Londt & Schoeman, Bushveld veget. and old lands ( NM) ; 1 ♀ (paratype), SE 2328Aa (nr. Tom Burke ), 2 1.xii. 1 9 81, J. v. d. Berg ( NM). NM Type No. 2654 .

Remarks: A species related to both hirtus : and stenoura but easily distinguished on male genital structure. Females are difficult to separate but placodes has dark redbrown tibiae and tarsi.

Figures

Figs 16- 18. Daspleti: placode: spec. nov. paratype male genitalia. 16. Lateral. 17. Ventral. 18. Dorsal.