Philodicus dubius Ricardo, 1921

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, A review of the genus Philodicus Loew, 1848 in southern Africa (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 747-747 : 754-756

Philodicus dubius Ricardo, 1921

Figs 7–11

Philodicus dubius Ricardo, 1921: 179 ; Blasdale 1957: 139 (pl. I, fig. 1 ♂ gen., pl. II, fig. 1 ♀ S8); Hull 1962: 456; Londt 1978: 420 (figs 3 ♂ gen., 9 aed.).

Philodicus compactus Hull, 1967: 256 (fig. 6 ♂ gen.).

Ricardo (1921) described the species on ‘ Type (male) and another, type (female), all from M’fongosi, Zululand (W. E. Jones), March 1911, in Cape Museum Coll’ and so did not designate a holotype, but merely listed a male and a female as ‘types’. These two specimens, which must be considered syntypes, have been studied, along with others from the same locality, and the male is here designated Lectotype. The female is considered a Paralectotype, while other material has no type status as there is no evidence that Ricardo actually studied them.

Type material: Lectotype: 1♂ ‘Holo- / type’ (orange), ‘Mfongosi [c. 28°43'S 30°50'E 575 m] / Zulu L. [Zululand] / W E Jones / Dec. 1911 ’, ‘ Philodicus dubius / n.sp. Ricardo ♀ [error]’, ‘Ricardo / determ.’ (pale blue), ‘SAM-DIP / A007818’ ( SAMC)*. Paralectotype: 1♀ ‘Type / HT’ (circular, red edge – scribbled on illegibly), ‘Mfongosi / Zulu L. / W E Jones / Dec. 1911 ’, ‘ Philodicus dubius / Ricardo’, ‘ Allotype / ♀ of Philodicus / dubius Ric. / A.J.H’ (attached by Dr A.J. Hesse, ‘SAM-DIP / A007818’ ( SAMC)*

Material examined: BOTSWANA: 2♂ ‘V.-L. Kal. Exp. / Metsimaklaba [c. 24°32'S 25°29'E 1115 m] / 7–12/3/1930 ’ ( NMSA)*; 2♂ ‘V.–L. Kal. Exp. [Kalahari Expedition] / Metsimaklaba / 7–12/3/1930 ’, ‘USNMENT01100079 & USNMENT01100080 [respectively]’ ( USNM). MOZAMBIQUE: 1♂ 8♀ ‘ Mombane [? Mambone c. 20°59'S 33°39'E 160 m] Mozam. / No. / 22–25-III-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100103–USNMENT01100104, USNMENT01100106–USNMENT01100111 [respectively]’ [2♀ with Acrididae ] ( USNM); 2♂ ‘ Masseangena [c. 21°46'39"S 32°37'40"E 215 m] Mozam. / No. / 1-II-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100085 & USNMENT0110086 [respectively]’ ( USNM); 1♀ ‘ Moçambique / Lago Chuali [c. 25°00'S 32°56'E 20 m] / 5-4-1980 / Coll. H.R. Feijen’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1? ‘ Moamba [c. 25°36'14"S 32°14'46"E 110 m] Mozam. / No. / 9–12-III-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100100 [?] & USNMENT01100101 [♂] [respectively]’ ( USNM); 1♂ ‘ Moçambique / Goba [c. 26°12'S 32°08'E 85 m] / 19/3/1980 / Coll. H.R. Feijen’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘P. E. Africa [Portuguese East Africa = Mozambique] / Guendri [? Quendri] / B. Lebied’ ‘SAM-DIP / A007822’ ( SAMC)*. SOUTH AFRICA: 3♂ 2♀ ‘ Sth Africa: Limpopo / Messina Nature Reserve / 22°24'54"S 30°05'12"E / J.G.H. Londt & T. Dikow / 487m 14.ii.2005 Mopane / dry woodland Sand Riv’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ Kruger National Park / Limpopo Junction [c. 22°26'S 31°18'E 200 m] / 29.xi.1959 / H.K. Munro & / A.C. v. Bruggen’ ( SANC); 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Sth Africa: Limpopo / Ben Lavin Nature Res. / 23°08'38"S 29°57'03"E / J.G.H. Londt & T. Dikow / 865m 13.ii.2005 Acacia / Zizyphus dry woodland’ [1♀ feeding on Acrididae ] ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa 2327BD / Transvaal Ellisras [= Lephalale c. 23°40'S 27°45'E 825 m] / 30.i.1978 JGH Londt / Grass near trees on / Mokolo River banks’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ ‘ South Africa N.W. Tvl / Mogol Nature Reserve / Ellisras Dist. 23.58S / 27.45E 19–23.xi.1979 / G.L. Prinsloo’ ( SANC); 2♀ ‘ Sth Africa: Transvaal / Kruger National Park / Vicinity of Skukuza [c. 25°00'S 31°36'E 285 m] / 9–12.iv.1985 J. Londt / SE2431 DC Bushveld’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa Transvaal / Kruger Park 9.xii.1972 / Lower Sabie Camp [c. 25°07'S 31°55'E 175 m] area / open savannah & river banks / B & P Stuckenberg 2531 Bb’ [feeding on ♂ P. tenuipes ] ( NMSA)*; 1♀ 1? ‘ Mfongosi [c. 28°43'S 30°50'E 575 m] / Zululand’ ‘SAM-DIP / A007820’ ( SAMC); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Mfongosi / Zulu L. / W E Jones / Mch 1911’, ‘ Preying on / Dragonflies / W E Jones’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007821’ ( SAMC); 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Mfongosi / Zulu L. / W E Jones’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007819’ ( SAMC); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umlalazi Nature Res. [c. 28°57'S 31°46'E 5 m] / 26–27.i.1987 / JGH Londt SE2831DD / Dune forest & margin’ ( NMSA); [♀ feeding on Acrididae ] ( NMSA). SWAZILAND: 1♀ ‘ Swaziland #48 / Mbuluzi Nature Reserve / 26°08'S 32°00'E 200m / Date: 25.iv.1991 / J. Londt & L. Schoeman / Mixed woodland area’ ( NMSA); 5♂ ‘ Swaziland #45 / 13km N of Ngogolo / 26°19'S 31°38'E 300m / Date: 22–24.iv.1991 / J. Londt & L. Schoeman / Panata Ranch / Bushveld’ ( NMSA). ZIMBABWE: 1♀ ‘ Africa Rhodesia / Loc Rekomitjie [Farm c. 16°28'S 29°31'E 1140 m] / Date 25/xi/76 / Habit Thicket / Collector R.J. Phelps’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ Country Rhodesia / Loc Kariba [c. 16°47'S 28°52'E 815 m] / Date 14/v/64 / Coll R.J. Phelps’ ( NMSA); 1♀ same data but 17/v/64 ( NMSA); 1♂ 1? ‘ Balla-Balla [= Mbalabala c. 20°27'00"S 29°02'09"E 1105 m] / S. Rhodesia / iii.1931 / A. Cuthbertson’, ‘USNMENT01100075’ ( USNM).

Material not re-examined: Londt (1978) records the types of P. compactus , housed by MZLU, as follows: ‘ South Africa: Natal, 1♂ holotype, Tugela River , 12 mi., N.W. Bergville [c. 28°44'S 29°21'E 1140 m], 31.iii.1951, loc. No. 255, Brink & Rudebeck (E.M.L.); Transvaal, 1♀ paratype, Kruger National Park , Skukuza [c. 24°59'S 31°35'E 285 m], 29.iv.1951 loc. No. 283, Brink & Rudeback (E.M.L.)’. In addition Londt (1978) lists the following material, mostly from Zimbabwe: ‘ Mozambique: 1♀, Base Camp , Massangera Dist., Save River [c. 21°06'S 34°42'E 15 m], 11.xii.1972, de Moor (N. M.R.). Lesotho: 1♀, Mamathes [c. 29°08'S 27°51'E 1685 m], 20.ii.1954, Jacot-Guillarmod (A.M.). Rhodesia: 2♂ 2♀, 153 km S.E. Nuanetse [Nuanetsi - c. 22°10'S 31°24'E 225 m], v & iv.1961 (N. M.R.); 1♂ 3♀, 27 km S. Chituropadzi [?], Limpopo River , ♀ – 29.iv.1968 ♀ – 28.iv.1968 ♀ – 1.v.1968 ♂ – 3.iv.1968, Pinhey (N. M.R.); 2♂ 1♀, Chikwarawara Dip , Chipese [Chipesa - c. 18°24'S 31°41'E 1400 m] T.T.L., 3, 4, 5.xii.1974, de Moor (N. M.R.); 1♀, Bazely Bridge [Bazeley Bridge - c. 19°15'S 32°29'E 800 m], Odzi River, i.1966 (N. M.R.); 1♂, Sawmills [c. 19°35'S 28°02'E 1130 m], 13.iv.1920 (N. M.R.); 1♀, Hippo Valley [c. 21°10'S 31°33'E 370 m] Citrus Estate, Lundi River, Chiredzi, 6.v.1978, Wheeler (N. M.R.); 3♀, Lomagundi [c. 17°22'S 30°12'E 1160 m], 18.iv.1940, Collins (P.P.R.1); 1♂ 1♀, Hippo Pools [c. 17°04'S 31°52'E 750 m], Hartley, ♀ with Pseudugrion sp-Odonata, 1.iii.1935, Williams (P.P.R.1); 1♂ 1♀, Kariba [c. 16°47'S 28°52'E 815 m], 18.iv.1964, Simmonds & Phelps (N.M. [no longer in the collection]).

Distribution, phenology and biology: Distributed fairly widely throughout the eastern parts of southern Africa ( Fig. 11 ). Adults are active throughout the warmer, and wetter, months of the year, having been recorded from November through to May ( Table 1 ). The species has been collected sympatrically with cinerascens as well as tenuipes on which it has also been caught feeding. Label data suggest that the species inhabits a variety of open woodland habitats, often in the vicinity of or along the banks of rivers and streams. Prey records limited to 5, with only females involved – Orthoptera : Acrididae (4), Diptera : Asilidae (1) P. tenuipes . In addition Londt (1987) records a female with a damselfly ( Pseudagrion sp. ) while label data provided by W.E. Jones records specimens as feeding on ‘dragonflies’. The female ovipositor is distally broad and spade-like so may be adapted for digging in loose sand.

Figures

Figs 7–10. Philodicus dubius Ricardo, 1921. (7–10) male terminalia: (7) lateral, (8) dorsal and (9) ventral views. (10) female distal end of S8.

Fig. 11. Southern African distribution of Philodicus dubius Ricardo, 1921.