Anthrax melanistus ( Bezzi, 1925 )

El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2021, Taxonomy of the genus Anthrax Scopoli (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in Egypt, Journal of Natural History 55 (9 - 10), pp. 597-624 : 614-615

Anthrax melanistus ( Bezzi, 1925) ( Figures 10 , 15 (e))

Argyramoeba melanista Bezzi, 1925: 221 . Type locality: Egypt ( Wadi Hoff , Wadi Rishrash) .

Diagnosis

Male: Body shining black with a bluish lustre, 6–8.5 mm in length ( Figure 15 (e)). Frons dusted grey above the antennae and silvery white at eye margins, black haired. Face dusted silvery white and black haired at lower margin. Scutum and scutellum exclusively with sparse black hairs and bristles. Anterior margin of scutum blackish haired. Pleura grey dusted on lower part, black haired. Wings clear with very faint indication of small spots on cross-vein r-m, origin of vein R2+3, and radial sector and anterior branch of cubitus ( Figure 15 (e)). Subcostal cell faint yellow-brown. Plumula black with whitish tips. Abdomen with sparse black hairs, and corners of 1st tergite with tufts of black hairs; tergites 2–4 with short black scaly hairs, but tergites 5–7 with dense brown-yellow scales on sides; posterior margins of tergites with fairly long, black bristles. Gonocoxites ( Figure 10 (a)) quadratic, with two apical prolongations with normal black, short, spine-like setae apically; epiphallus ( Figure 10 (b,c)) with spines at the tip.

Female: Similar to male; however, upper part of frons narrower than in male and abdomen entirely without scales. Spermatheca ( Figure 10 (d)) with an egg-shaped, strongly sclerotised bulb, slightly constricted at lower third.

Material examined

Lectotype male, W. Hoff (29.8821°N, 31.3110°E), 10 March 1922 (Efflatoun, leg.); paralectotypes: 1 male and 1 female, W. Rishrash (29.4642°N, 31.3672°E), 3 March 1922 (Efflatoun, leg.) [ ESEC]. 1 male, 1 female, W. Garawi (29.7833°N, 31.3167°E), 25 March 1932 (Efflatoun, leg.); 1 male, 1 female, W. Hoff (29.8821°N, 31.3110°E), 4 April 1930 (Farag, leg.); 1 male, 1 female, W. Rishrash (29.4642°N, 31.3672°E), 27 March 1935 (Efflatoun, leg.); 1 male, W. Zohleiga (26.1333°N, 33.7500°E), 25–29 March 1925 (Efflatoun, leg.) [ EFC].

Figures

Figure 10. Anthrax melanistus: (a) gonocoxites, ventral view; (b) tip of epiphallus, dorsal view; (c) tip of epiphallus, lateral view; (d) spermatheca.

Figure 15. Anthrax spp., habitus: (a) A. aethiops bezzii; (b) A. dentatus; (c) A. greatheadi; (d) A. lucidus; (e) A. melanistus.