The genus Synolcus Loew, 1858, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae) Londt, Jason G. H. African Invertebrates 2012 2012-12-12 53 2 661 661 Londt, 2012 Londt 2012 [505,751,645,671] Insecta Asilidae Synolcus Animalia Diptera 13 674 Arthropoda species armstrongi sp. nov.   Figs 5, 30–34, 78, 89 Etymology: Named for Dr Adrian Armstrong, of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, whose collecting activities led to the discovery of this species. Description:  Male.  Head: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, white, pale yellow and black setose.Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine gold­silver pruinose, scape and pedicel black (ventral) and mixed black and pale yellow (dorsal) setose, postpedicel with few black and yellowish setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n= 5) 1:0.9:1.6:1.2 (0.2:0.9:0.2), i.e. pedicel slightly shorter than scape, postpedicel about 1.5 times length of scape, stylus a little longer than scape. Face: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose. Mystax pale yellow (ventral) and black (dorsal), setae slightly better developed ventrally. Frons and vertex: Blackish, gold-silver pruinose, frons black and white setose laterally, ocellar tubercle black setose. Occiput: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, black (dorsally) and pale yellow (centrally and ventrally) setose.  Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver, gold-silver and dark red-brown pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Prothorax:Dark red-brown to blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose (including macrosetae, but there may be 1–2 black macrosetae). Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, gold-silver pruinose with dark red-brown pruinose median band and lateral patches, macrosetae mixed black and pale yellow, minor setae blackish (mainly anteriorly) and pale yellow-white (mainly posteriorly). Macrosetae: acrand dcfairly well-developed posterior of transverse suture, dcextend weakly anterior to suture, 2 npl(mixed black and pale yellow), 2 spal(mixed black and pale yellow), 3 pal(pale yellow only). Scutellum: Blackish, strongly gold-silvery pruinose, disc pale yellow setose, 1 pair pale yellow apical macrosetae. Pleura: Dark red-brown to black, silver to gold-silver pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose except for strong ktg. Legs: Cxblackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; cx3 with 2 lateral macrosetae. Trodark red-brown, moderately pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Femuniform dark red-brown to black, major setae pale yellow (1–2 small black ones at distal end of fem1), minor setae pale yellow. Tibextensively orange with distal end dark red-brown, major setae mostly black (few pale yellow), minor setae pale yellow and black. Tarblackish, major and minor setae pale yellow (dorsally) and black (ventrally). Wing ( Fig. 5): Veins mostly dark red-brown, anterior veins more orange-brown proximally, membrane transparent (slight yellow appearance due to microtrichiae). Cell sclacking sc–r. Cells r1 & r2+3 moderately expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth (mean, n =5) 10.9 (10.4–11.6) × 4.5 (4.2–4.9) mm. Haltere: Orange with pale brownish proximal end.  Figs 30–34.  Synolcus armstrongi sp. n., paratype male genitalia (Karkloof): (30) lateral, (31) dorsal, (32) ventral, (33) gonocoxite and gonostylus, (34) aedeagus. Scale line 1 mm.  Abdomen: Blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. T1 fairly uniformly gold-silver pruinose, 4 pale yellow macrosetae laterally accompanied by many pale yellow setae. T2–8 gold- silver pruinose, pale yellow setose (including 1–7 macrosetae). S similar to T. Terminalia ( Figs 30–34): Epandin lateral view ( Fig. 30) not projecting very far beyond proct, with a distinctive ventrally directed lobe a little beyond half length and with somewhat bilobed appearance; epandlobes in dorsal view narrowly separated proximally. S8 normal (lacking special development) and not projecting distally. Hypdand goncxclearly seen in ventral view. Hypdmoderately well-developed, deeply indented medially (allowing base of aedto be seen, Fig. 32). Gonstelongate with upturned distal tip in lateral view ( Fig. 33). Aedfairly robust distally with somewhat S-shaped tip ( Fig. 34).  Female: Essentially similar to male. Wing length × breadth (mean, n= 3) 11.5 (10.8– 12.4) ×4.1 (3.6–4.5) mm (length and range similar to male, but not expanded and therefore narrower). Terminalia ( Fig. 78): Ovipositor laterally compressed, somewhat knife-like and moderately elongate (about twice as long as deep).   Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: ‘ South Africa/ KwaZulu­Natal/ Karkloof Nat. Res. / 29°18'7"S/ 30°12'28"E/  16/1/2001’, ‘ A. Armstrong& P. Ngwenya/ NCI Record ID: 162181 / Grassland’[Google Earth altitude  1677 m].  Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀same data as holotypebut ‘162182’; 1♂same data as holotypebut ‘162183’ (with prey Hemiptera, Pentatomidae); 1♂same data as holotypebut ‘162184’ and ‘Grassland montane / Plateau’; 1♀same data as holotypebut ‘162185’ and ‘Grassland / Plateau’; 1♂ 1♀‘ South Africa/ KwaZulu­Natal/ Minerva Private Nat. Res. / 29°47'10"S/ 30°12'18"E/ 11/1/2000’, ‘A. Armstrong, Wakelin, Oelleman / NCI Record ID: 163179 / Grassland mistbelt / Summit’ [Google Earth altitude 1496 m]. Distribution, phenology and biology:A KwaZulu-Natalendemic collected at two nature reserves ( Fig. 89). Adults fly during the mid­summer month of January (Table 1). Label data and Armstrong (pers. comm.) indicate that this species inhabits grassland adjacent to indigenous forest. A single prey record is available, viz. Hemiptera (Pentatomidae). 2001-01-16 A. Armstrong & P. Ngwenya & Record ID & Grassland' South Africa 1677 -29.301943 South Africa 20 30.207779 14 675 1 1 KwaZulu-Natal holotype