Afroestricus insectaris, Scarbrough Table Of Contents, 2005

Scarbrough Table Of Contents, Aubrey G., 2005, Afroestricus, a new Afrotropical Ommatine (Diptera: Asilidae) genus with twenty species and two species groups, Zootaxa 1041 (1), pp. 1-76 : 28-30

Afroestricus insectaris , sp. n.

Figs. 55–64 , 193

Male. Black. Body 10.3–11.7 mm; wing 7.4–8.1 mm. Head: Face yellowish­gray to yellow tomentose, darkest dorsally; vestiture on dorsal 2/3 usually sparse, entirely black, that below abundant, entirely or mostly yellow, seven to eight long, black bristles present; FHWR 1.0:3.7–1.0:4.7. Antenna reddish­brown to black; black setose, scape with longest ventral setae slightly longer than flagellum; flagellum as long as scape; FWLR 1.0:2.0. Frons brownish­yellow tomentose, longest setae as long as scape and pedicel combined. Occiput yellowish­gray, darker yellow dorsally; setae mostly yellow or white, sometimes sparse black setae dorsally; row of thin, black, postocular bristles extends near or to midlateral margin of eye; longest bristle with apex well beyond posterior margin of eye, about 1/2 distance to ocellar tubercle.

Thorax: Pronotum yellowish­gray to brownish­yellow tomentose, bristles black. Mesonotum mostly yellow tomentose, two brown paramedical stripes and two lateral brown present, tomentum on sides and posteriorly yellowish­gray; setae mostly long and black, anterior dorsocentral setae at least as long as scape; pale setae present laterally and between rows of dorsocentral bristles posteriorly; long, thin, dorsocentral bristles present near postpronotum, four lateral and all dorsocentral bristles. Scutellum yellowish­gray to yellow tomentose with yellow setae, black marginal bristles, and a preapical groove. Pleuron yellow to yellowish­gray tomentose; sparse setae, bristles, and halter, yellow.

Wing: As Fig. 3a except as follows: Cell r 4 with base at or just beyond apex of cell d. Cell m 1 WR 1.0:3.0:3.2–1.0:4.5:4.1.

Leg: Coxae and trochanters black, yellowish­gray tomentose with yellow vestiture. Femora mostly black, apical 1/4 to 1/3 usually yellow, sometimes middle and hind femora with apical 1/2 to 3/4 dorsally and, or posteriorly yellow; femora ventrally with abundant, long, yellow setae. Fore femur with row of ventral setae yellow. Middle femur with yellow posterodorsal preapical bristle. Hind femur with mostly yellow bristles, one to three black bristles sometimes present ventrally, one specimen with all anteroventral bristles black; HFWLR 1.0:4.2–1.0:4.4. Tibiae yellow with apex black; hind tibia often black on apical 2/ 3 anteriorly; bristles yellow and black mixed; hind tibia without an apical tubercle. Tarsi with base of apical four tarsomeres yellow; basal tarsomere mostly yellow, narrow apex black; all tarsi with yellow bristles laterally.

Abdomen: Black, mostly yellowish­gray tomentose with yellow laterally, slightly brown on basal terga, becoming increasingly darker on apical segments; setae mostly yellow, sparse black setae on terga 2 to 3, becoming more abundant on terga medially on terga 4 to 8; unusual stout bristles on apical segments absent.

Terminalia ( Figs. 55–60 ): Black, apical margins red. Epandrium with wide, shallow notch dorsally and apically. Gonostylus distinctive. Distiphallus horizontal, apex narrow, pointed dorsally; epiphallus narrow apically; ejaculatory apodeme with a narrow. Gonocoxite apically rounded in lateral view, far short of epandrium apex. Hypandrium slightly triangular.

Female. Differs as follows: Body 10.7–11.4 mm; wing 7.7–8.0 mm; FHWR 1.0:1.6–

1.0:2.2; FHWR 1.0:3.7–1.0:3.9; HFWLR 1.0:5.3–1.0:6.2. Body: Tomentum of head, thorax and abdomen darker yellow than in male. Head: Face with golden yellow tomentum grading to brownish­yellow dorsally. Wing: Vein CuA 1 +M 3 fused for very short distance. Abdomen: Terga 2 to 8 with widely distributed and abundant black setae. Apical segments with stout, black and yellow bristles. Tergum 8 membranous basally. Terminalia ( Figs. 61–64 ): Tergum 9 entirely sclerotized, 1/3 to 1/2 as long as cercus. Sternum 8 wider apically than basally; diagonal row of thick bristles present laterally. Spermatheca smooth, base and apex wide. Genital fork distinctive.

Type material. Holotype M, UGANDA: 11 mi SE of Mbarara [0°37’S 30°39’E], 1350 m, 6.xii.57, E.S. Ross and R . E. Leech ( CASC) . Paratypes: 1 F, same data as holotype ( CASC); 1 M, 1 F, same data, collectors ( CASC); 1 M, same location and collectors as holotype, xii.57 ( CASC) . RWANDA: 1 M, Gabiro Kagero Park, 1325 m, 8.xii.57, E.S. Ross and R . E. Leech ( CASC) . KENYA: 1 M, British East Africa, Kuja Valley, South Kavirondo [eastern shore of Lake Victoria], 4000ft, 30.iv–1.v.1911, male terminalia slide S.57A, S. V . Neave ( BMNH); 1 M, 1°31’S 36°25’E, Masai Mara Game Res, Kemerok Lodge, 9.vi.1994 alt. 1600m, P.A. and D.H. Wieringa­Brant ( ZMAN) .

Etymology. Latin insectaris for to chase`or to pursue, referring to the flies predaceous habits.

Distribution ( Tables 1, 2; Fig. 193). Known from a few locations in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda; collected between 1100 and 1600 meters during December, April, and May.

Remarks. In addition to the characters in the key and the terminalia ( Figs. 55–64 ), A. insectaris differs from congeners with black femora in that the apices are yellow.

Figures

FIGURES 55–64. Afroestricus insectaris, sp. n. Male terminalia: 55–57. Lateral, dorsal, and ventral views. 58. Gonostylus. 59–60. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views. Female terminalia: 61–62. Dorsal and ventral views. 63. Spermatheca. 64. Genital fork.

FIGURES 3–4. Character states of the wing and postocular bristles of the subgenus Afroestricus Scarbrough. 3a–b. Wing venation of the macroscelis and the minutus species groups. 4a–b. Short, erect and long, thin, postocular bristles bristles. Abbrevations: First radial cell=r1; fourth radial cell=r4; discal cell=d; radial­medial crossvein=r­m; first medial cell=m1; third medial cell=m3.