Acnephalomyia probolos, Londt, 2010

Londt, Jason G. H., 2010, A review of Afrotropical Acnephalum Macquart, 1838, including the reinstatement of Sporadothrix Hermann, 1907 and descriptions of two new genera (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 431-431 : 457-458

Acnephalomyia probolos sp. n.

Figs 50, 51 , 68

Etymology: From Greek probolos (any protruding or jutting object or prominence); noun in apposition. The name refers to the long, projecting hypandrium.

Description (Based on holotype. Condition: Good; double mounted, right prothoracic leg missing terminal four tarsomeres, left mesothoracic leg broken off and glued to mounting strip.):

Head: Dark red-brown to black, white setose, weakly silver pruinose.Antenna:Dark red-brown except for tip of style which is pale yellow. Segmental ratios 1.0:0.9:3.0:0.2:1.2, scape and pedicel subequal in length, pale whitish setose, macroseta on ventral aspect of pedicel longer than postpedicel. Face dark red-brown to black, apruinose except for narrow strips adjacent to eye margins, mystax white, covering entire face. Frons, vertex and postocular region dark red-brown to black, apruinose except for central part of postocular region, mainly white setose (some dorsal setae yellowish); angle subtended by eye margins at level of frons/vertex c. 17°. Proboscis red-brown, white setose. Palpus dark red-brown, 2-segmented, pale yellowish setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, apruinose, mostly white setose. Pronotum mostly white setose, but with group of pale yellowish macrosetae medially. Mesonotum mostly white setose interspersed with some yellow and dark red-brown ones. Lateral macrosetae moderately well developed, yellow (3 npl, 3 spal, 5 or 6 pal). Pleura largely asetose except for numerous, long, somewhat wavy, white katatergals, dorsally situated anepisternals and katepisternals. Scutellum shiny dark red-brown apruinose with poorly-developed transverse, subapical groove. About 10 moderately developed yellowish apical macrosetae accompanied by slightly shorter, fine, white setae; disc sparsely white setose. Legs: Mostly dark red-brown, but fem orange-brown ventrally. Major setae erect, whitish, minor setae white. Ventral parts of tar and distoventral tip of tib black setose. Claws black, longish (but shorter than tarsomere 5); empodia slender, yellow, about two-thirds length of claws; pulvilli tiny (about one-third length of empodium). Haltere yellow, base yellow-brown. Wing: 3.7× 1.5 mm. Veins brown, membrane lacking microtrichiae; entirely transparent, unstained. Vein R 4 with only a trace of a basal stump-vein.

Abdomen: Terga broader than long, dark red-brown to black. Terga apruinose, but entirely pitted by setal sockets. Terga with longish white setae laterally. White setae extend for a short distance along distal margins of terga, becoming shorter medially. Large areas of terga appear asetose, but are covered with tiny reddish brown setae. Sterna dark red-brown, apruinose, longish white setose (wavy anteriorly). Terminalia largely withdrawn between T6 and S6, distal parts somewhat obscured by setae. Genitalia ( Figs 50, 51 ): Epand highly reduced. Proc in lateral view longer than epand. Exterior lobe of goncx tapering to a fairly acute tip; interior lobe longish, finger­like and jutting out to about same level as achieved by aedeagal tip. Gonst small. Hypd in ventral view somewhat truncate basally, tapering rapidly to long finger­like, distally projecting medial lobe. Hypd basodorsally with a disc-like projection that lies between gonocoxites.

Variation: The female paratype agrees well with the holotype, but is slightly bigger (wing length 4.7 mm) and stump-veins are moderately well developed.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH ARICA: ‘ Sth Africa Cape Prov / Richtersveld 2816BD / 40km S of Ochta Mine / Londt & Stuckenberg / 2.ix.1983. Mixed Karoo / bush with few flowers’ ( NMSA).

Paratype: 1♀ same data as holotype ( NMSA) .

Distribution and phenology (Table 3): Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 68 ) and collected only in September.

Similar species: Male genitalia are similar to those of dorsalis , eremia , leukoros , and platygaster , but the form of the epandrium and hypandrium is distinctive. Identification of females of these species is sometimes problematic as they so closely resemble each other.

Figures

Figs 44–51.Acnephalomyia male terminalia:(44–46) A. leukoros sp. n.paratype, lateral,dorsal and ventral; (47–49) A.platygaster (Loew, 1858) topotypic ♂ lateral, dorsal and ventral; (50, 51) A. probolos sp. n. paratype, lateral and ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 68. Distribution of species: Acnephalomyia iota sp. n. – diamonds; A. probolos sp. n. – star; Sporadothrix gracilis Hermann, 1907 – circles; Ammodaimon platythrix sp. n. – triangle; Astiptomyia bikos sp. n. – square.