Rhabdogaster cinerascens ( Wulp, 1899 )

Londt, Jason G. H., 2006, A review of the Afrotropical genus Rhabdogaster Loew, 1858 with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 47, pp. 243-313 : 251-252

Rhabdogaster cinerascens ( Wulp, 1899)

Figs 125–127

Psilinus cinerascens Wulp, 1899: 86 , fig. 7 whole specimen, figs 8, 9 head; Hull 1962: 213; Oldroyd 1980: 369 (catalogue). Type locality: Yemen (Aden).

Rhabdogaster cinerascens: Londt 1993: 386 , 387.

Redescription: Based on Nr Muhail ơ.

Head: Dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, white setose. Antenna dark red-brown to black, setae white (few black dorsally on pedicel). Face entirely pruinose. Mystax entirely white, occupying lower half of face. Frons and vertex entirely pruinose (including ocellar tubercle). Occiput entirely pruinose. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, setae white.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, predominantly white setose (dorsocentrals and scutellars black). Mesonotum entirely pruinose (including postpronotal lobes). Pleura entirely pruinose. Scutellum pruinose except for hind margin, with 2 major sctl s accompanied by approx. 6 more minor setae. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely silver-gold pruinose. Legs: cx dark red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose; troc and fem dark red-brown, white setose; tib yellow-brown proximally, dark red-brown distally, predominantly white setose (a few black setae ventrodistally); tar dark red-brown, partly white (mainly dorsally) and black (mainly ventrally) setose. Wing 3.8 x 1.3 mm, veins orange-brown, membrane transparent, unstained, almost devoid of microtrichia (except for some distally). Discal cell sparsely microtrichose, costal cell entirely lacking microtrichia.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, white setose. Tergites apruinose middorsally and along hind margins. Sternites entirely pruinose. Terminalia ( Figs 125– 127 ): epand in lateral view about as long as external lobe of goncx, gradually tapering to fairly broadly-rounded tips; lobes proximally fairly broadly fused basally; hypd in lateral view shorter than epand, shorter than both epand and goncx, gently upcurved distally; in ventral view broader than long, tapering rapidly to elongate, slightly clubbed median projection. External lobe of goncx about equal in length to epand lobe, tapering distally to fairly acute apex; internal lobes short and straight, projecting a little beyond external lobes. Gonostyli in ventral view projecting to about the same level achieved by external lobes of goncx.

Variation:There is some variation in size. The described ơ is one of the smaller specimens (wing 3.8 x 1.3 mm), the holotype ^(see Londt 1993) is a little bigger (wing 4.5 x 1.4 mm), while the Oman ^is the largest specimen measured (wing 5.1 x 1.7 mm).

Holotype: ^YEMEN: ‘ Aden [1246N:4501E]’ ( OXUM).

Other recorded material: ERITREA: 1^‘Eritrea / Mobra Alain [? badly written] / 8/2/54’ ( BMNH) ; OMAN: 1^‘ Oman Sharqiya [2230N:5815E] / Ras al Junayz / 12.xi.1987 / M.J. Ebejer’; 1ơ ‘ Dhofar 700m. / Ayun Pools [= Wadi Uyun 1721N:5342E] / 10.10.1977 / K. Guichard’ ( BMNH) ; SAUDI ARABIA: 3ơ 1^Nr Muhail [not found in gazetteer] / 18 30N 41 45E / 22.xii.71’ ( BMNH, 1ơ NMSA); 1^‘Lucust / Research / Station / Jeddah [= Jiddah 2131N:3913E] / Saudi Arabia’ ~ ‘ [illegible scribble that could be a locality name] / 8.vi.72’ ( BMNH) .

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2): Recorded from Eritrea, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Only one of these localities is in Africa (plotted in Fig. 128 ), while others are on the Arabian peninsula. The Yemen and Oman records are considered afrotropical as they fall into the regions as defined in the Catalogue of Afrotropical Diptera , while those from Saudi Arabia should perhaps be considered Palaearctic. The Saudi Arabian records require confirmation as ‘Muhail’ cannot be found in gazetteers (the coordinates provided on the label locate the specimens in Saudi Arabia), and ‘Jeddah’ probably indicates the location of the Locust Research Station and not the place of collection. Collected in February, June, October, November and December.

Similar species: R. sinis sp. n.

Figures

Figs 116–127. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (116–118) R. zebra sp. n., Capangombe holotype: (116) lateral, (117) dorsal, (118) ventral; (119–121) R. zilla sp. n., Farmer’s Brigade paratype: (119) lateral, (120) dorsal, (121) ventral; (122–124) R. zopheros sp. n., Tundavala paratype: (122) lateral, (123) dorsal, (124) ventral; (125–127) R. cinerascens (Wulp, 1899), Nr Muhail: (125) lateral, (126) dorsal, (127) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 128. African distribution of Rhabdogaster Loew, 1858 (excluding R. cinerascens).