Auchmeromyia Brauer and Bergenstamm, 1891: 391

Kurahashi, Hiromu & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2006, The Calliphoridae of Namibia (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 1322 (1), pp. 1-131 : 64-65

Genus: Auchmeromyia Brauer and Bergenstamm, 1891: 391 .

TYPE SPECIES: Musca luteola Fabricius, 1805 [junior primary homonym, preocc. luteola Scopoli, 1763 = Ochromyia senegalensis Macquart, 1851 ], by monotypy.

NOTES: The six described species of the genus are restricted to the Afrotropical Region (Zumpt 1956: 152), where they are associated with the burrows of Warthog Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin) (Suidae) and Aardvark Orycteropus afer (Pallas) , in which larvae suck the blood of their mammalian hosts, obtained by scraping the skin with the mouthhooks (Ferrar 1987: 84; Zumpt 1965: 69). The genus includes the ‘ Congo floor maggot’, A. senegalensis (Macquart, 1851) , the larvae of which inhabit traditional dwellings in Africa and feed on the blood of sleeping humans (the species is not recorded from Namibia to date) (vide Zumpt 1965, for further details). The genus was recently revised by Lehrer (2005b).

Auchmeromyia bequaerti (Roubaud, 1913: 198) (Choeromyia) .

Fig. 59 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Zaïre [= Democratic Republic of Congo] .

DISTRIBUTION: Widespread East and southern Africa: Botswana *, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa (Natal, Transvaal), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

MATERIAL: 1♂, 1♀, Klippan , 8.v.1987, Marais & Irish (1) ; 1♂, 3♀, Otjikoko­Süd 61, 10–13.ii.1972, [SMStaff], H6455 ; 1♂, Arnhem 222(1), 23–27.x.1972, [SMStaff], H9669 ; 1♂, Nkasa Island , 3.x.1987, Marais ; 1♂, Waterberg Plateau Park (1), 31.iii–30.iv.1992, Pusch ( PT) ; 1♂, Okosomingo 149, 16–29.xi.1988, Marais (PT & BT) ; 1♀, Robbie’s Pass , 24.ii.1985, Irish (1) & Rust (1), H63653 ; 1♀, Opdraend 718, 30.iv.1996, Marais (LT) ; 4♂, 1♀, Amkarub 269(1), river on at: 24–26.v.2001, Kirk­Spriggs (1) & Marais ( MT) ; 1♂, 1♀, Varianto 771/2, 30.iii–1.iv.2003, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( MT) ; 2♂, 2♀, same except: ( HT) fruit; 1♀, same except: ( HT) fungi; 1♂, 1♀, Salambala forest , 23–29.xii.2002, Kirk­Spriggs (2) ( MT) ; 1♂, Salambala , 4 km NE of, 25.ii–1.iii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs (1) & Marais ( MT) ; 1♂, Namutoni EE Centre, 4–5.iii.1998, Kirk­ Spriggs (1) ( MT) ; 1♂, Fort Doppies , 20–21.x.1999, Kirk­Spriggs (1), Pape & Hauwanga ( MT) dry woodland; 2♀, Okavango River at: 18–19.x.1999, Kirk­Spriggs (1), Pape & Hauwanga ( MT) ; 1♂, 1♀, Omatako Ranch 305, 22–24.iii.2003, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( MT) ; 3♂, 1♀, Erichsfelde 44, 20–22.iii.2003, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( MT) ; 1♀, same except: 19–22.iii.2003, Kirk­ Spriggs(1) & Mey (LT); 2♀, same except: 20–21.iii.2003, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( HT) fruit; 1♂, Kubunyana camp: Kwando River, 28–30.x.2003, Kirk­Spriggs (2) ( HT) fruit; 1♀, same except: ( MT) ; 1♂, 1♀, Toggenburg 591 campsite, 18–20.ii.2004, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( HT) fruit; 2♂, 1♀, Salambala campsite, 8–10.ii.2004, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( MT) .

NOTES: Adult flies are superficially confused with the Tumbu fly by non­dipterists. Adults of both sexes are often common near the burrows of Warthog and Aardvark (Zumpt 1956: 156, 1965: 69), and larvae are numerous at all stages in the loose sand of burrows. In Namibia the species has been taken in pitfall and Malaise traps, comes to UV­light, and has been collected in hanging traps baited with fermenting fruit and rotting fungi. Central, north­western and north­eastern Namibia; in the ‘arid’ and ‘mesic’ savanna and nama­karoo biomes ( Fig. 59 ). Recorded most abundantly in February and March (vide Table 2). Wetzel (1970) notes differences between the larvae of A. senegalensis and A. bequaerti .

Auchmeromyia choerophaga (Roubaud, 1911: 554) (Choeromyia) .

Fig. 60 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Mali .

DISTRIBUTION: Cameroon, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan and Upper Volta.

PREVIOUS RECORDS: Otjimbombe [probably Otjimbonde] [20°56'S, 16°07'E], iii.1923 (Zumpt 1956: 156); Kunene River [locality unknown] (Zumpt 1965: 69) .

MATERIAL: No recent material of this species has been examined from Namibia

NOTES: This species is also associated with the burrows of Warthog and Aardvark, and appears to have a similar biology to A. bequaerti (vide supra). Roubaud (1914) found larvae in burrows and gave some biological information on the species, as outlined in Zumpt (1965: 69). Central and northern Namibia; in the ‘arid’ savanna biome ( Fig. 60 ). There are no recent records from Namibia.

Figures

FIGURES 57–62. Distributions of Namibian Calliphoridae species. 57. Bengalia spinifemorata Villeneuve. 58. Cordylobia anthropophaga (Blanchard and Bérenger­Féraud in Larrey). 59. Auchmeromyia bequaerti (Roubaud). 60. A. choerophaga (Roubaud). 61. Neocordylobia roubaudi Villeneuve. 62. Pachycoeromyia praegrandis (Austen).