Choerades japonicus (Matsumura)

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 : 10-11

Choerades japonicus (Matsumura)

( Figs. 4, 10, 16, 43, 44)

Laphria japonicus Matsumura, 1931: 432 .

Choerades japonicus (Matsumura) : Hisamatsu, 1965: 203.

Small to medium sized black flies, 12–17 mm. Scutellum surface with a wrinkled appearance. Contrasting thin gold tergal bands against the dark integument. Head widened. The gonocoxite apex is short and blunt; epandrium deeply cupped ( Fig. 4). Variation occurs in both sexes on the coloration and abundance of dorsocentral and tergal hair.

Redescription. Head: Face yellow pollinose with yellow and black hair. Mystax sparse, black above, yellow below. Parafacial hair abundant, yellow gold. Orbital hair black above, yellow below. Proboscis apically angulated slightly (ventrally angles upwards); apex punctulate (with pits or punctures). Short black postocular hair. Ocellar tubercle with 2 long black bristles and short black hair. Antenna black with black hair; relative lengths of segments: 3> 1> 2; postpedicel (segment 3) with an apical dorsal pit. Thorax: Scutum pale blue black with short appressed black acrostichal hair. Postpronotum silver gray pollinose with black and yellow hair. Chaetotaxy with 1 notopleural, 6 supraalar, 4 postalar bristles, all black. Short fine black or yellow dorsocentral hair. Discal scutellar surface with black wrinkled appearance, fine reddish pollen and black short hair. Scutellar margin ringed with yellow and black bristles. Lateral aspect of thorax silver gray tomentose. Anepisternum with long abundant yellow and black hair, 3 posterior black bristles. Katatergal bristles yellow and black. Anatergite bare. Legs: Entirely black with yellow hair and sparse black bristles. Wings: Tinged brown, basal portions of first submarginal (R 2 and R 3) and area surrounding first anal vein partially clear. Abdomen: Tergites pale blue with yellow gold hair. Tergites 1–6 with strong laterodorsal mats of yellow gold hair, thinner medioapically. Tergites 2–5 yellow gold tomentose on lateral margins. Male genitalia: ( Figs 4, 10 & 16.). Gonocoxite apex obtuse, widely rounded. Epandrium deeply cupped. Female: Similar to male except tergite 6 completely covered in gold hair. Abdomen clavate.

Material examined. Chollanam­Do Province: 2 ɗ, 5 Ψ: 29 /VIII/ 2000 – 20 /IX/ 2002, Chirisan N.P. Piagol Valley, Chiri Mt. 570 m., 35 ° 16 ’ 39 ”N, 127 ° 33 ’ 91 ”E; 1 Ψ: 21 /VIII/ 1998, Songsusan Mt. Resort area, Songsu­ Myon, 35 ° 38 ’ 26 ”N, 127 ° 24 ’ 42 ”E. Ch’ungch’ongnam­Do Province: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ: 5 /IX/ 1998 – 24 /X/ 2000, Kumsan­ Gun Kumsan, Posoksa, P. Tripotin coll.; 1 ɗ: 1 /IX/ 2001, “écl. Public,” Majon, Taejon, P. Tripotin coll. Kyongsangnam­Do Province: 1 ɗ, 7 Ψ: 12 /VIII/ 2002 – 4 /X/ 2003, Macheon Chirisan Mt. 705m., 35 ° 20 ’ 55 ”N, 127 ° 38 ’ 21 ”E.