Exoprosopa luteicosta Bezzi, 1921

Greathead, David J. & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2004, New species of Bombylioidea in Mario Bezzi’s Unpublished Hungarian Museum Manuscript, Zootaxa 773, pp. 1-56 : 37-39

Exoprosopa luteicosta Bezzi, 1921

( Fig. 23)

94. Exoprosopa (Exoprosopa) luteicosta ɗΨ Tanzania: Shirati, v.1909 (Katona). MS page [91].

Bezzi, 1921a: 161, 170 – key and description. Bezzi mentioned: [ Namibia] 1ɗ Ovamboland, 1890–91 (E.W. Eriksson) [SAMC]; 2 specimens, [ South Africa] Cape, Grahamstown in his own collection and also ‘some other doubtful specimens from [1ɗ] Touws River, Cape, and [1Ψ] Pochefstroom, Transvaal (T. Ayres)’ both SAMC. In his Additions (p. 170) he also referred 1Ψ [ Namibia], Tsumeb, xii. 1919 (R.W.E. Tucker) also in SAMC to this species. There are four specimens in Bezzi’s collection at MSNM as follows, label data updated: Tanzania: 1ɗ, Shirati, ii.1909 (Katona); Zimbabwe: 1ɗ, Salisbury, Arcturus, 1916 (Dr Melle); South Africa: 1ɗ1Ψ, Limpopo, Newington [24°50'S 31°17'E], 8.i.1912 (J.P. Fenouhlet) 1426.

Bezzi, 1924: 285, 350 – key and diagnosis. Listed ‘numerous specimens of both sexes from various localities, as follows: [2ɗ1Ψ], Transvaal, Pretoria, [20] March 1914 (Miss. Brincker); Belgian Congo, Katanga District, [2ɗ2Ψ], Kambove, 4,000–5,000 ft., 31 March 1907 and [1ɗ3Ψ], 150­200 miles W. of Kambove, 3,500–4,500 ft., 19 October 1907 (Dr. S.A. Neave) [not found]; Nyasaland Protectorate, 1909 (Dr J.K. Norris) [not found]; Chenzi, near Domira Bay, 2,420 ft., 12 December 1914 (Dr W.A. Lambourn), and Chikala District and Zomba, January 1918 (D.H.S. Stannus) [not found]; and Portuguese East Africa, [1Ψ], E. of Mt. Mlanje [28.xi.1913] (Dr S.A. Neave) and [1Ψ] Port Amelia [1914] (F.V. Beste). The specimens from Kambove, Katanga, 31 March 1907 (Dr S.A. Neave) have the fore borders of the wings broadly infuscated’.

Hesse, 1956: 868 – description from the Ovamboland, Pochefstroom and Tsumeb specimens mentioned in Bezzi (1921a). He doubted that Bezzi’s Grahamstown specimens were E. luteicosta because the locality is outside its known distribution (map in Greathead, 2001a).

Evenhuis & Greathead, 1999: 366 – listed syntypes 1 in NMSA, 2 in SAMC from Bezzi (1921a).

Greathead, 2001a: 133 – key to species group, synonymy, and diagnosis.

Types: The syntypes, at least two, in HNHM were destroyed 1956. Bezzi (1921a) listed four syntypes in SAMC and two in his own collection [= MSNM] and in Bezzi (1924) an unspecified number of syntypes in BMNH. Twelve of these syntypes were found. As indicated above there are four specimens in Bezzi’s collection in MSNM. The specimen from Shirati is clearly one of the original series from HNHM but none of the others are from Grahamstown! Did Bezzi write Grahamstown in error for Newington or were the three additional specimens acquired after he had completed the manuscript of his 1921a paper? Because of this uncertainty, the status of these three specimens is in doubt and they cannot confidently be listed as syntypes. The label data on the specimen in NMSA listed as a syntype of E. luteicosta Bezzi in Evenhuis & Greathead (1999) indicates that it is in fact not a syntype of E. luteicosta Bezzi but a paratype of E. luteicosta var. metapleuralis Hesse (1956) (from [ Mozambique] Inyak Island, ix.1919 (H.G. Breyer). Paratype no. 949) (Mikhail Mostovski, pers. comm.). The male specimen from Shirati in MSNM is designated lectotype ( Fig. 23) in line with Bezzi’s intention to describe E. luteicosta from specimens from this locality.

Remarks: This species is well characterised and abundant in collections from southern and eastern Africa.