Afroholopogon tanystylos, Londt, 2005

Londt, Jason G. H., 2005, A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 46 (1937), pp. 203-252 : 224-225

Afroholopogon tanystylos sp. n.

Figs 48–50 , 78

Etymology: Gr. tany (long) and stylos (pillar, column). Refers to the elongate antennal style.

Description: Based on holotype.

Head: Antenna: black, distal half of style yellow-brown, fine silver pruinose, white setose; segmental formula 1.0:1.0:2.0:0.3:2.5 (long style). Face black, entirely strongly silver pruinose, mystax strong white, extending almost to antennal sockets. Face width:head width ratio 1.0:4.3. Frons and vertex black, entirely silver pruinose, weak white setose. Occiput black, gold-silver pruinose (weak behind ocellar tubercle), white setose (long dorsally). Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, white setose.

Thorax: Mesonotum black, extensively gold-silver pruinose except for pair of apruinose anteromedial stripes and two big mediolateral apruinose spots (one anterior of suture, one postsuture). Setation: ac – small white; dc – short white (longer postsuture); npl – 2 white; sa – 1 white (with smaller setae); pa – 1 white (with smaller setae). Scutellum black, almost entirely gold-silver (except for tiny lateral spot), disc asetose, margin with 8 white setae. Pleura black, entirely gold-silver pruinose, white setose. Wing 3.4 x 1.4 mm, transparent, unstained, microtrichia largely absent, basal angle of r 4 23°. Halter light brown with pale yellow knob. Legs: cx black, gold-silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters black; fem black with narrow brown-orange distal tip, white setose; tib orange with dark red-brown distal end, white setose; tar dark red-brown, dark redbrown setose.

Abdomen: Terga black, shiny apruinose except for broad distal gold-silver bands, tiny white setae (long on T1–2). Sterna dark red-brown, entirely silver pruinose, tiny yellow setose. Genitalia of holotype not macerated but appearing to conform closely with the illustrated paratype ( Figs 48–50 ): Hypopygium rotated through about 180°; epand (in dorsal view) a little longer than hypd, deeply incised to form elongate lobes that project well beyond level attained by goncx; goncx externally distally bilobed and projecting (in lateral view) to a level just beyond half the length attained by epand; hypd (in lateral view) long, upturned at about mid length and (in ventral view) tapering rapidly before diverging and forming a trilobed distal process of complex structure.

Variation: Little variation is evident within the small sample available.

Type specimens: SOUTH AFRICA: ơ holotype, 1ơ 1^ paratypes, ‘ South Africa: N Cape / Ca. 5 km E Augrabies Falls / National Park’s main gate / 28°37.284'S 020°16.576'E / 670m J Londt & T Dikow / 4.ii.2004 Acacia savanna’ .

Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 78 ). The specimens were swept from sparse, long grass in February.

Similar species: Difficult to confuse with any other species, but considered most similar to chirundu , fugax and xeros (see discussion).

Figures

Figs 45–57. Afroholopogon species, male genitalia: (45–47) A. peregrinus (Engel, 1929), topotype, Willowmore: (45) lateral, (46) dorsal, (47) ventral; (48–50) A. tanystylos sp. n., paratype, 5 km E Augrabies Falls National Park’s main gate: (48) lateral, (49) dorsal, (50) ventral; (51–53) A. uranopia sp. n., paratype, Graaff-Reinet: (51) lateral, (52) dorsal, (53) ventral; (54–57) A. vumba (Oldroyd, 1974), paratype, N Vumba: (54) lateral, (55) dorsal, (56) ventral, (57) hypandrium in flatter view. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 78. Southern African distribution of Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 species:aspros – closed circle, capensis – open circle, pardosoros – closed square, tanystylos – open square, uranopia – closed triangle, xeros – open triangle.