Trichardis mellina, Londt, 2008

Londt, Jason G. H., 2008, A review of Afrotropical Trichardis Hermann, 1906, and the description of the first Oriental representative of the genus (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 171-171 : 192-193

Trichardis mellina sp. n.

Figs 31, 32

Etymology: From Latin mellina (honey coloured). Refers to the orange-brown colour of this species.

Description (based on holotype in good condition, with left antenna broken off beyond pedicel and mid leg broken off beyond femur):

Head: Brown-orange with dark red-brown occipital area, entirely silver pruinose, white setose. Antenna brown-orange, white setose; postpedicel not markedly clavate (L:D= 3.8:1). Mystax shiny white. Ocellar tubercle with 4 macrosetae. Proboscis brown-orange proximally, red-brown distally; palpi brown-orange.

Thorax: Brown-orange, gold-silver pruinose except for apruinose areas, pale whitish yellow setose. Postpronotum extensively pruinose except for narrow lateral strip, mesonotum orange-brown, extensively silver-gold pruinose (weak mediolaterally), pale yellowish setose. Scutellum gold-silver pruinose except for narrow hind margin and central part of disc. Anepisternum with pale yellowish posterior macroseta, pruinose dorsally, apruinose ventrally. Proepimeron pruinose anteriorly, apruinose posteriorly; katepisternum pruinose posteriorly, apruinose anteriorly; anepisternum pruinose posteriorly, apruinose anteriorly. Legs: Brown-orange, pulvilli and empodium of similar length. Hind femur brown-orange, length:height ratio 4.2:1 (slender), ventral tubercles absent. Hind tibia lacking ventrodistal spur. Wing: 4.2× 1.6 mm. Costal vein extends along most of wing margin, weakly along anal cell, absent from alula. Membrane extensively microtrichose—discal and r 5 cells almost entirely microtrichose (weakly proximally and adjacent to veins).

Abdomen: Brown-orange, hind margins of terga yellow, entirely apruinose,pale yellowish setose. T2 brown-orange, apruinose.

ơ genitalia ( Figs 31, 32 ): Epandrium in lateral view longer than basal part of gonocoxite (i.e. excluding distal projection of gonocoxite and gonostylus). Proctiger fairly long, strongly dorsoventrally compressed. Hypandrium greatly reduced and simple. Gonocoxite in ventral view without median projections distally and with about 4 distally arranged weak macrosetae; mediodistal projection stout at base becoming slender towards sclerotised distal end. Gonostyli short, stout, with broadly-rounded converging distal ends.Aedeagal prongs slender, slightly curved, ending as small terminal filamentous tubules.

Holotype: ERITREA: ơ ‘ Ghinda [15°26'N: 39°07'E] / Mochi / vi-16 [1916]’ ( MCMI).

Paratypes: ERITREA: 3 ơ 3^same data as holotype; 1 ơ ‘ Trichardis / erythrogaster. Herm / Typus’ , ‘ Pres by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit Mus. / 1923–58.’, ‘ Abyssinia / Nov. 1911 / R. J. Stordy’ ( BMNH). Note: The specimens have poorly hand-written labels difficult to decipher .

Distribution and biology: The species is known with certainty only from Ghinda in Eritrea. Apart from the fact that adults fly during June, midsummer in the northern hemisphere (Table 1), nothing is known of its biology.

Similar species: T. mellina is most similar to glabra and these species key out together. The male genitalia, especially the form of the gonocoxites are particularly diagnostic in this pair. T. effrena shares some characteristics with these species, but is otherwise distinctive.

Figures

Figs 29–34. Trichardis species, male genitalia: (29, 30) lateral and ventral of T. malawi sp. n., paratype, Monkey Bay; (31, 32) lateral and ventral of T. mellina sp. n., paratype, Ghinda; (33, 34) lateral and ventral of T. nigrescens (Ricardo, 1903), Homhil. Scale lines = 1 mm.