Choerades caucasicus Richter & Mamaev

Young, Charles L. & Hradský, Milan M., 2007, Robber flies of South Korea III. South Korean species of the Subfamily Laphriinae Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1388, pp. 1-23 : 8-9

Choerades caucasicus Richter & Mamaev

( Figs 2 , 8 , 14 , 28 , 37, 38 ).

Choerades caucasicus Richter & Mamaev, 1971: 1589 .

Medium to large, black and brightly gold colored flies, 15–23 mm. Male tergite 6 with 2 apical short knobs. F. Geller­Grimm notes (pers. comm.) other closely related species with similar structures and shape of terminal segments; a revision of these species is in order. Wings tinged dark yellow. Long mats of bright gold hair on medial and lateral surfaces of tergites. Similar to Choerades amurensis , but much larger, more densely setose flies.

Redescription. Head: Face yellow pollinose with yellow gold hair and bristles. Mystax abundant, long, yellow gold. Parafacial hair abundant, yellow gold. Orbital hair yellow, long, erect. Proboscis apically angulated (ventrally angles upwards); apex punctulate (with pits or punctures). Long yellow and black postocular hair. Ocellar tubercle with 6 exceptionally long yellow bristles. Antenna black with yellow hair and black bristles; relative lengths of segments: 3>1>2; postpedicel (segment 3) with an apical dorsal pit and spine. Thorax: Scutum pale blue black with short, abundant, appressed, yellow acrostichal hair. Postpronotal hair long, yellow. Chaetotaxy with 1 notopleural, 4 supraalar, 8–9 postalar bristles, all yellow gold. Sparse long fine dorsocentral hair. Discal scutellar hair long, appressed, yellow. Scutellar margin ringed with long yellow bristles. Lateral aspect of thorax black, yellow pollinose. Anepisternum with long sparse yellow and black hair, 3 strong yellow posterior bristles. Katatergal bristles thick, long, yellow. Anatergite bare black integument. Legs: Entirely black with long abundant yellow gold and black hair and bristles. Wings: Tinged yellow, veins darkened. Abdomen: Tergites pale blue black with posterior and lateral mats of short appressed yellow gold hair, longer on apical tergites. Yellow lateral bristles becoming weaker after tergite 3. Male genitalia: ( Figs 2 , 8 , 14 .) Dorsal subapical gonocoxite with long filamentous flange with rounded apex. Tergite 6 with 2 apical short knobs, or protuberances, forming a U­shaped apex. Tergite 7 with a prominent apical knob. Female: Similar to male except apical tergites entirely covered in yellow gold hair. Abdomen clavate, widest on segments 4 and 5.

Material examined. Chollanam­Do Province: 14ɗ, 1Ψ: 26/V/1999 – 29/VII/2003, Chirisan N.P. Piagol Valley, Chiri Mt. 570 m., 35°16’39”N, 127°33’91”E. Kang­won­Do Province: 1Ψ: 12/VI/2004, Kangch’on, 37°23’33”N, 129°13’34”E. Kyongsangnam­Do Province: 1ɗ: 1–15/VI/2003, Macheon, Chirisan Mt. 705m., 35°20’55”N, 127°38’21”E, Malaise trap; 1ɗ: Same data except 15–30/VI/2003, P. Tripotin coll.; 1Ψ: Same data except 6–30/VII/2003.

Field notes. C. caucasicus frequents higher elevation hardwood forests where it forages from dead tree trunks.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Choerades males — lateral views. 1. C. amurensis. 2. C. caucasicus. 3. C. caudatus. 4. C. japonicus. 5. C. komurai. 6. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Choerades males — ventral views. 7. C. amurensis. 8. C. caucasicus. 9. C. caudatus. 10. C. japonicus. 11. C. komurai. 12. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Choerades males — gonopods. 13. C. amurensis. 14. C. caucasicus. 15. C. caudatus. 16. C. japonicus. 17. C. komurai. 18. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 24 – 28. Heads. 24. C. amurensis. 25. Orthogonis sp. 26. C. sp. 27. C. caudatus. 28. C. caucasicus.

FIGURES 33 – 38. 33. Choerades amurensis, ♂ dorsal. 34. Choerades amurensis, ♂ lateral. 35. Choerades asprospilos sp. n., Ψ dorsal. 36. Choerades asprospilos sp. n., Ψ lateral. 37. Choerades caucasicus, ♂ dorsal. 38. Choerades caucasicus, ♂ lateral.