Ommatius (Pygommatius) vultus, Scarbrough & Marascia, 2003

Scarbrough, Aubrey G. & Marascia, Claudio G., 2003, Revision of Ommatius Wiedemann (Diptera: Asilidae). IV. Pygommatius subgen. nov. with twenty-five Afrotropical species, Zootaxa 228 (1), pp. 1-94 : 60-61

Ommatius (Pygommatius) vultus , sp. n.

Figs. 22, 28 , 38. 48 , 226­228

Male. As O. litoreus except as follows. Length, body 9.6 mm; wing 7.1 mm. FHWLR 1.0:7.4.

Wing ( Fig. 22 ).

Leg: Fore coxa apically with 3 unusually long, thick bristles. Fore femur ( Fig. 28 ) basally with 2 unusually long bristles ventrally, 1 of these thick, 1 thin, plus 2 short setae, all yellow. Middle femur with 2 short, thin bristles posteroventrally. Hind femur ( Fig. 38 ) with 1 short, thin, brown, preapical, anteroventral seta; 5 peg­like, posteroventral bristles basally plus a row of 5 thin setae beyond, the apical 2 of these unusually long, thin, and bristly; HFWLR 1.0:5.3. Hind tibia ( Fig. 48 ) narrow basally, gradually wider to midlength and beyond, preapical constriction absent; a black suboval protuberance apically, inner surface with an elevated low flange.

Abdomen: Sternites 4­6 with a similar pattern of bristles as in O. litoreus .

Terminalia ( Figs. 226­228 ): Epandrium 2 branched; apex of dorsal branch round, surface rugose; ventral branch forked. Gonostylus apically truncate. Gonocoxite with a prominent flange. Aedeagal sheath normal. Hypandrium with apex narrow, angular, pointed; numerous short bristles present apically; surface with minute grooves and ridges.

Female. Unknown.

Specimen examined: Holotype ♂, TANZANIA: Gonja / v.1958 / J. D. Phipps / B. M. 1962­453 ( BMNH).

Distribution. Known only from its type locality in Tanzania.

Etymology. Latin, vultus , meaning similarity, referring to this species likeness to O. litoreus .

Remarks. Ommatius vultus is similar to O. litoreus but differs in the 3 unusually long fore coxal bristles, the 2 long ventral bristles on the fore femur ( Fig. 28 ), the flat, peg­like bristles on the hind tibia ( Fig. 38 ), the shape of the hind tibia ( Fig. 48 ), and the combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 226­228 ).

Figures

FIGURES 21­28. Right wing of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 21. O. talus, sp. n.; 22. O. vultus, sp. n.; 23­28. Right fore femur of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. showing arrangement of anteroventral bristles. 23. O. brevicornis Curran; 24. O. grossus, sp. n.; 25. O. limbus, sp. n.; 26. O. litoreus, sp. n.; 27. O. strigiatus, sp. n..; 28. O. vultus, sp. n.

FIGURES 29­38. Male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 29. O. jaculator Walker, middle femur. 30­ 38. Hind femur, 30. O. brevicornis Curran, anterior view; 31. O. comosus, sp. n., anterior view; 32. O. dasypogon Oldroyd, anterior view; 33. O. jaculator Walker, anterior view; 34. O. limbus, sp. n., with coxa, anterior view; 35. O. litoreus, sp. n., anterior view; 36. O. neglectus Bromley, anterior view; 37. O. strigiatus, sp. n., posterior view; 38. O. vultus, sp. n., posterior view.

FIGURES 39­48. Left hind tibia of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 39. O. comosus, sp. n.; 40. O. fluvius, sp. n.; 41. O. imaginus, sp. n.; 42. O. limbus, sp. n., anterior; 43. O. litoreus, sp. n.; 44. O. neglectus Bromley; 45. O. porticus, sp. n.; 46. O. renudus, sp. n.; 47. O. strigiatus, sp. n.; 48. O. vultus, sp. n., inner surface.

FIGURES 226­230. Male terminalia of Ommatius vultus, sp. n. 226­228. Lateral, dorsal and ventral views; 229. Gonostylus; 230. Aedeagus, lateral view.