Afromochtherus mendax (Tsacas, 1969)

Londt, Jason G. H., 2002, Afrotropical Asilinae (Asilidae): A provisional key to genera, with a review of the status of Neomochtherus Osten Sacken, 1878, and descriptions of new genera and species, African Invertebrates 43, pp. 11-92 : 35-37

Afromochtherus mendax (Tsacas, 1969) ( Figs 66–72 )

Neomochtherus mendax Tsacas, 1969: 22–23 .

Afromochtherus mendox [sic]; Lehr, 1996: 72.

Type material: Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ [not seen], Steynsburg [3118S:2549E], Cape, 1906, E. Hang ( MNHN).

Material examined: NAMIBIA: 1ơ, Otjinungwa, SE1712 Ab, 17–22.xi.1970, H10972 ( NMNW) ; 4ơ 3^, Zesfontein [19 ° 08'S: 13 ° 37'E], S W A, ii.1925, Mus Exped. ( SAMC) ; 1ơ, Elshorst 90 [Farm], 20 ° 58'S 16 ° 15'E, Otjiwarongo , 11–12.i.1975, H29183 ( NMNW) ; 1ơ, Omaruru , SE2115 Bd, 15, 17.xi.1971, H5191 ( NMNW) ; 1ơ, Windhoek, SE 2217 Ca , H5645 ( NMNW) ; 1ơ, Rooibank [23 ° 11'S: 14 ° 39'E], Kuiseb River Bed, 7.ii.1978, Lomholdt, small dunes with bushes ( ZMUC) ; 9ơ 2^, Gobabeb [23 ° 33'S: 15 ° 02'E], Kuiseb River Bed (5ơ) flowing (4ơ 2^), 8 (2ơ 1^), 10 (2ơ 1^) & 14.ii.1978 (5ơ), Lomholdt ( ZMUC, 1ơ NMSA); 1^, Namib Desert, SWA, 23 ° 34'S 15 ° 03'E, 20.i.1983, Praetorius ( NMNW) ; 2ơ 1^, Noachabeb 97 [Farm], Keetmanshoop, SE2718 Ad, 7– 12.i.1972, H5857 ( NMNW) ; 2ơ 1^, Fish River Canyon [27 ° 40'S: 17 ° 35'E], 11.i.1993, Koch, auf Plateau ( ZMHB) ; 2ơ, Fish River Canyon Park (Ai-Ais) [27 ° 55'S: 17 ° 29'E], 19–21.xi.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) ; 3ơ 1^, Ai-Ais , Fish River Canyon, 7–8.x.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) . SOUTH AFRICA: 1^, Nelspruit [25 ° 28'S: 30 ° 58'E], xii.1917, Breijer; 1ơ, Kimberley [28 ° 44'S: 24 ° 46'E], xi.1912, Power ( SAMC) ; 1^, Brandbos, 28 ° 33'S 16 ° 36'E, 14.ii.1979, Lamoral; 1^, Orange River , Vioolsdrif [28 ° 46'S: 17 ° 39'E], 9.i.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) ; 1ơ, Tweerivier [29 ° 14'S: 17 ° 43'E], 3.i.1942, Ac. US; 1^, Edenburg [29 ° 94'S: 25 ° 56'E], 28.xii.1977, Herrmann ; 1^, Garies [30 ° 33'S: 17 ° 59'E], Namaqualand, vi.1930, Museum Staff ( SAMC) ; 1ơ, Akkerendam Nat. Res., 1 km N. Calvinia, 31 ° 26'55''S: 19 ° 46'22''E, 1260 m, 9–10.xi.1998, Londt, Karoo vegetation; 1^, Calvinia [31 ° 28'S: 19 ° 47'E], 7.iii.1903 ( SAMC) ; 1ơ 1^, 8 km W. Williston, 31 ° 20'48''S: 20 ° 50'52''E, 1080 m, 10.xi.1998, Karoo vegetation at foot of rocky ridge; 1ơ, 23 km N. of Middelpos, 31 ° 44'S: 20 ° 14'E, 1170 m, 29.xi.1990, Whittington & Londt, At Kookfontein River ; 2^, Liebendal [31 ° 43'S: 25 ° 55'E], xi.1956, S A M ( SAMC) ; 1ơ 1^, Bulshoek [32 ° 01'S: 18 ° 47'E] Clw [Clanwilliam], xii.1956, S A M ( SAMC) ; 1ơ 2^, 18 km N. Sutherland, 32 ° 16'S: 20 ° 41'E, 1350 m, 26.xi.1990, Londt & Whittington , Renosterrivier area ; 1^, 35 km N.E. Sutherland, 32 ° 18'S: 20 ° 00'E, 1300 m, 27.xi.1990, Londt & Whittington , Rietrivier bridge area; 1ơ 6^, Nieuveld Escarpment, Rietvlei [3221BB], i.1949, Zinn-Hesse, Mus. Exp. ( SAMC) ; 2ơ 2^, Merweville [32 ° 40'S: 21 ° 31'E], Laingsburg Distr. , i.1959, Zinn ( SAMC) ; 4ơ 3^, Merweville Distr. C.P, i–ii.1947, Zinn ( SAMC) ; 1ơ 1?, Gouph [32 ° 25'S: 21 ° 43'E], Laingsburg Dist. , x.1939, Mus Staff ( SAMC) ; 6ơ 3^, Karoo Nature Reserve West of Graaff Reinet , 32 ° 14'S: 24 ° 29'E, 900 m, 7–8.xii.1989, J. & H. Londt, Rocky slope, Savannah; 1ơ, Karoo Nat. Park [near Beaufort West 32 ° 21'S: 22 ° 35'E], 21–22.x.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) ; 4ơ, Beaufort West [32 ° 21'S: 22 ° 35'E] Dist. , ii.1958, S A M ( SAMC) ; 3ơ, Graaff-Reinet , Urquhart Park Caravan Park , 32 ° 15'S: 24 ° 33'E, 4–6.xii.1988, Londt , Riverine veget., Sandy ground; 2ơ, Mountain Zebra Nat. P., 24 km W. Cradock, 3225AB, 21.i.1984, D. & C. Barraclough, Rocky hillside; 2ơ 3^, Mountain Zebra Nat Park , 3225AD, 17- 21.xii.1985, Londt , Bushveld vegetation; 1^, Somerset Oos [= Somerset East 32 ° 43'S: 25 ° 35'E], xii.1944; 2ơ 1^, Gardiner’s Drift [32 ° 42'S: 26 ° 18'E], Adelaide, iii.1954, SA Museum ( SAMC) ; 1ơ, Fort Beaufort , “Umdala” [Farm 32 ° 48'S: 26 ° 39'E], iii.1954, SA Museum ( SAMC) ; 1^, Hex Riv [33 ° 20'S: 19 ° 35'E], xii.[?18]94’ ( SAMC) ; 1^, Ceres Div. Matroosberg [33 ° 23'S: 19 ° 40'E], 4 000 ft, i.1917, Lightfoot ( SAMC) ; 9ơ 8^, 5 km S. of Laingsburg, 33 ° 14'S: 20 ° 52'E, 700 m, 25.xi.1990, Londt & Whittington, Banks Buffels River ; 1ơ 1^, Constable [33 ° 15'S: 20 ° 19'E], C.P., ii.1958 ( SAMC) ; 3ơ 3^, Rooinek [33 ° 20'S: 20 ° 55'E], Laingsburg Distr. , i.1949, Zinn-Hesse, Mus. Exp. ( SAMC) ; 1^, 8ơ, N.E. of Touws R. [33 ° 20'S: 20 ° 02'E], xii.1962, S A M ( SAMC) ; 1ơ, Cogman’s Kloof , 3320 Cc , Ashton-Montague Road, 11.i.1983, Stabbins & Miller along river; 2^, Spitzkop [33 ° 03'S: 20 ° 35'E], Laingsburg Dist., iii.1938, Mus Staff ( SAMC) ; 3^, 70 km E. of Laingsburg , 33 ° 06'S: 21 ° 35'E, 500 m, 24.xi.1990, Whittington & Londt, Dry Dwyka River area ; 1ơ 3^, Gamka River , 40 km N. Prince Albert, 3321BB, 11.xi. 1986, 500 m, Londt & Quickelberge, Sandy area / Acacias; 1ơ 1^, 5 km S. Prince Albert, 33 ° 17'S: 22 ° 03'E, 800 m, 24.xi.1990, Whittington & Londt, nr. Scholtzkloof road; 2ơ 2^, Meiringspoort, 3322BC, 11–12.xii.1979, Londt & Stuckenberg, Rocky hillside & stream edge; 1ơ, Willowmore [33 ° 17'S: 23 ° 29'E], 5.ii.1927, Brauns, 3171 / 3.[? illegible]; 5ơ 3^, Bo Kouga [33 ° 40'S: 23 ° 28'E], Uniondale Distr., C.P., iii.1954, SA Museum ( SAMC) ; 1^, 6 km N. Uniondale , 3323CA, 11.xii.1979, Stuckenberg & Londt, Dry Karoo vegetation; 1ơ, Dunbrody [33 ° 28'S: 25 ° 33'E], 1901, O’Niel ( SAMC) ; 1^, Dunbrody , 1897, O’Niel ( SAMC) ; 3ơ 4^, Hermanus , Hermanus Beach Club , 34 ° 26'09''S: 19 ° 12'47''E, 0 m, 15.xii.2000, Londt , Rocks ; 1ơ 1^, 7 km S. Swellendam, 3420 Ab , Bontebok National Pk. , iii.1979, Braack, Malaise trap, nr. river; 1ơ, Swellendam [34 ° 02'S: 20 ° 26'E], Bontebok Nat. P., 2–3.i.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) ; 1^, Riversdal [Riversdale – 34 ° 06'S: 21 ° 16'E], ii.1950, Conradie ; 1^, Jeffreysbaai [34 ° 03'S: 24 ° 55'E], xii.1952, Heyns. ZIMBABWE: 4^, Matopos Nat. Park [20 ° 35'S: 28 ° 40'E], 28.xi.–1.xii.1993, Koch ( ZMHB) .

I have also seen the following specimen which does not appear to be conspecific – SOUTH AFRICA: 1^, Meiringspoort, 3322BC, 11–12.xii.1979, Londt & Stuckenberg, Rocky hillside & stream edge.

Material not studied: 1^, ‘ 8 mi. west of Humansdorp, 1.3.1951, loc. No. 193, Brinck and Rudebeck’ ( MZLU) (cited Hull, 1976 who also listed a specimen merely as Neomochtherus sp. which may well be A. mendax , but this identification requires verification).

Type locality: South Africa, Eastern Cape, Steynsburg .

Comments: I have not seen the unique holotype, but Tsacas’ (1969) description and illustrations are adequate for me to confidently assign the many new records provided above to this species.The reduced microtrichial distribution of the wings and the unique form of the epandrial lobes, especially in the distal region, make the species readily separable from its congeners. Previously known only from the type locality, the distribution of mendax is now known to be extensive ( Fig. 250 ). Although probably centred in the south-western parts of South Africa, the Namibian records and one from Zimbabwe suggests that a far wider distributional pattern may emerge through future collecting. The species appears to be associated with hot, dry, sandy situations where individuals are usually collected resting on the ground. The relatively short, broad ovipositor is probably well-suited for depositing eggs in sand. The Hermanus specimens collected by me were invariably found on rocks within a few metres of the sea.

Figures

Figs 66–72. Afromochtherus mendax (Tsacas, 1969). (Karoo Nature Reserve ơ & ^). 66. Antenna. 67. Wing. 68–70. ơ genitalia. 68. Lateral. 69. Dorsal. 70. Ventral. 71–72.^ genitalia. 71. Lateral. 72. Dorsal. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 250. Distribution of Afromochtherus mendax.