Rhinia nigricornis (Macquart, 1843)

Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna, Villet, Martin H., Martinez-Sanchez, Anabel & Rojo, Santos, 2023, South African nose flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Rhiniinae): taxonomy, diversity, distribution and biology, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 72764-72764 : 72764

Rhinia nigricornis (Macquart, 1843)

= Idia nigricornis Macquart, 1843: 281. Type locality: Senegal.

= Rhinia winthemi Villeneuve, 1915: 203. Type locality: Guinea.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Botswana*, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea*, Gambia, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho*, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa (Fig. 9 ), Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Palaearctic: Saudi Arabia.

Notes

Preferred environment: dry scrub forest and on the edge of a coastal forest in KwaZulu-Natal. In Namibia, apparently restricted to the Arid and Mesic Savannah Biomes ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Recorded elevations: 95 m a.s.l. Seasonality: more common in March, April and December, while absent or scarce for the rest of the year (1-3 specimens). In Namibia, most abundant in February ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Behaviour and ecology: collected on flowers of Gymnosporia linearis (L.f.) Loes. (as Maytenus linearis (L.)) and " Acacia " ( Senegalia Raf. or Vachellia Wight & Arn.) thickets. Females were observed attending nests of Bembecinus haemorrhoidalis (Handlirsch), Pompilidae and Sphecidae ( Hymenoptera ). Life cycle and developmental stages: unknown. Collection methods: most often collected with Malaise traps. In Namibia, it was reported as attracted to rotten fish and fermenting fruit in baited traps ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Illustrations and photographs: male habitus as in Fig. 10 . Male terminalia as in fig. 36 in Zumpt (1958).

Material examined: Suppl. materials 1, 2.

Figures

Figure 9. Rhinia nigricornis occurrence map in South Africa, including eSwatini (eSw) and Lesotho (Le); horizontal axis longitude east and vertical axis latitude south.

Figure 10. Habitus, left lateral view of Rhinia nigricornis male NMSA from South Africa; scale bar = 2 mm.