Euscelidia milva, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 52-53

Euscelidia milva sp. n. ( E. datis species-group)

Figs 25 , 26 , 28D–F, M

Etymology: Latin noun milvus = kite, hawk; refers to the predatory habit of all Asilidae .

Description: Head: Black; fc yellow pruinose, fc gib indistinct, mystax white, many macrosetae; prob and plp black, setae white; oc tr apruinose; occ silver pruinose, many white and yellow setae; Antennae - scp dark brown, white setae ventrally, white pruinose; ped brown, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped brown or orange, white pruinose; apsel hyaline.

Thorax: Black; ppro peg large, silver pruinose; sct bluish-black, red spots antero-laterally, predominantly apruinose, margins silver pruinose, surface covered with long yellow setae, white setae on pruinose part; macrosetae: white, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl silver pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, white; Legs - orange to dark brown; pro fem orange, meso fem orange, antero-medially brown, meta fem clubbed, pale yellow proximally, proximal half of club black, distal half orange, club with erect yellow setae; pro tib light brown, pale yellow stripe anteriorly, meso tib brown, pale yellow stripe anteriorly, meta tib orange to black, pale yellow stripe not reaching tip anteriorly; first tar pale yellow, brown distad, remaining tar black, setae black; emp distinct, very short; Wings - densely covered with microtrichia, brown coloured; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt light brown.

Abdomen: Orange to black; T predominantly black, anterior and posterior margins orange, yellow pruinose, T1 with many long yellow setae, T 2 in proximal half with long yellow setae laterally, remaining T with short yellow and brown setae, S yellow pruinose, setae yellow; ơ terminalia Figs 28D–F, M - sur bent inwards distally; hypd enlarged proximally; d aed shea long, tip Fig. 28M , lat apod bifurcated.

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘W-Africa: Ghana; ca. 2 km NE’ Hohoe: Bodenabbaugebiet [a place where soil is produced] BARKEMEYER (handwritten except for ‘W-Africa: Ghana’ and ‘BARKEMEYER’) 9.10.1998 [9.x.1998] (handwritten on backside of label) / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in excellent condition (ơ terminalia attached to specimens pin in micro vial), and is deposited in the NMSA.

A ơ paratype with the same locality data as the holotype, collected on 8.x.1998, and ‘ PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’ is directly mounted, is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the NMSA .A ơ paratype is labelled ‘W-Africa: Ghana ; ca. 2 km NE’ Hohoe : ‘ Farmland’ am Folibli BARKEMEYER (handwritten except for ‘W-Africa: Ghana’ and ‘ Barkemeyer’) 8.10.1998 [8.x.1998] (handwritten on backside of label) / PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in very good condition stylus of antennae broken), and is deposited in the NMSA .A ơ paratype is labelled ‘a in cop. with b. (handwritten) / NIGERIA: N.W. State Mokwa. Zugurma. R. Eku. 11–19.viii.1970. P.H. Ward. B.M. 1970-604 / PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of foam), is in very good condition (right meta leg broken), and is deposited in the BMNH .A ^ paratype is labelled ‘b in cop. with a. (handwritten) / NIGERIA: N.W. State Mokwa. Zugurma. R. Eku. 11– 19.viii.1970. P.H. Ward. B.M. 1970-604 / PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of foam), is in good condition (met legs broken), and is deposited in the BMNH . A ơ paratype is labelled ‘ NIGERIA: N.W. State Mokwa. Zugurma. R. Eku. 11–19.viii.1970. P.H. Ward. B.M. 1970-604 / PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T.Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of foam), is in good condition (right meso tib and meta leg broken), and is deposited in the BMNH . A ơ paratype is labelled ‘ UGANDA EAST MADI PARKELLE 17.11.58 [17.xi.1958] J. BOWDEN. / Euscelidia artaphernes Speiser det. H. Oldroyd, 1960. (handwritten except for ‘det. H. Oldroyd, 196’) / PARATYPE Euscelidia milva sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in rectangular piece of plastic), is in very good condition (ơ terminalia attached to specimens pin in micro vial), and is deposited in the BMNH .

Type locality and distribution ( Fig. 26 ): Ghana , Hohoe, 7 09'N 0 27'E. Central African Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda .

Material examined: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1ơ Fort Crampel, 6 59'N 19 11'E. Depository: ZSMC .

Figures

Fig. 25. Euscelidia milva sp. n. Lateral aspect of specimen.

Fig. 26. Distribution. E. artaphernes, circles; E. datis, squares; E. lata sp. n., triangles; E. milva sp. n., stars; ^^ of species-group, plus sign.

Fig. 28. ơ terminalia. A–C, K, L. Euscelidia lata sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. K. Aedeagus lateral. L. Aedeagus tip dorsal. D–F, M. E. milva sp. n. D. Dorsal. E. Ventral. F. Lateral. M. Aedeagus lateral. G–I, N. E. datis. G. Dorsal. H. Ventral. I. Lateral. N. Aedeagus lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.