Taxonomic observations regarding four genera ofAfrotropical robber flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae) Author Londt, Jason G. H. text African Invertebrates 2015 2015-06-30 56 1 191 191 http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.5733/afin.056.0115 journal article 10.5733/afin.056.0115 2305-2562 7913925 Ericomyia atomentosa ( Oldroyd, 1960 ) , comb. n. Figs 24–33 , 37 Laphria atomentosa Oldroyd, 1960: 281–2 (fig. 11 ♂ genitalia); 1980: 351 (catalogue). Redescription: Based on material examined. Little sexual dimorphism exists. Head ( Fig. 25 ): Black, silver and gold pruinose, black and white setose.Antenna ( Fig. 26 ): Black, scape and pedicel entirely black setose. Segmental ratios (scape as 1) — 1:1.1: 2.3: 0.2. Pedicel slightly longer than scape, postpedicel a little longer than scape and pedicel combined, tipped with small but clearly defined style. Style scoop-like with pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element visible only in dorsal view. Face black, but colour somewhat masked by strong shiny gold pruinescence, ventrally moderately protruding. MystaX long, black, confined to gibbosity ( Fig. 25 ). Region between mystaX and antennal sockets with short black setae arranged in an inverted V pattern (glistening scale like setae as found in Notiolaphria completely wanting). Frons black, dull gold pruinose with a row of small black setae laterally adjacent to eye margin. Ocellar tubercle well developed, with two pairs of moderately developed, black macrosetae. Vertex black, red-gold pruinose. Postocular (occipital) region black, strongly silver pruinose, especially immediately posterior of eyes, strongly black setose dorsally, fine white setose ventrally. Palpi cylindrical, black, while setose. Proboscis subtriangular in cross-section, dark red-brown to black, white setose. Fig. 24. Ericomyia atomentosa ( Oldroyd, 1960 ) ♂, (Madagascar, 7 km W Ranomafana). Thorax : Dark red-brown to black, with areas of silver and gold pruinescence, black, white and pale yellow setose. Pronotum black, pale yellow setose. Mesonotum metallic blue-black, almost entirely shiny apruinose (eXcept for small medial areas adjacent to postpronotal lobes and very narrow strips immediately dorsal to wing insertions), fine setulae mostly black (those found on posterior parts of postpronotal lobes appear reddish, but colour may be partly reflective).Acrostichals minute to absent. Dorsocentrals black, poorly developed, extending both anterior and posterior of transverse suture. Mesonotal macrosetae: Black, moderately developed, 3 npl, 5 spal, 1 pal. Scutellum shiny blue-black, entirely apruinose, disc with isolated small black setae, c. 6 longish, thin, black apical macrosetae (accompanied by a few smaller setae). Pleura: Black, extensively silver or gold (anterodorsal region of anepisternum) pruinose (except for anteroventral part of anepisternum and region where proepimeron and katepisternum abut, which is entirely shiny apruinose), black and white setose.Anepisternum pale yellow setose except for a few weakly developed black setae posteriorly (no clearly defined macrosetae). Katatergal macrosetae almost entirely black (1 white ventrally). Anatergites uniformly, strongly silver pruinose, asetose. Figs. 25–27. Ericomyia atomentosa ( Oldroyd, 1960 ) : (25) ♂ head, lateral view (Ranomafana); (26) ♂ antennae (Ranomafana); (27) ♀ wing (Ranomafana). Figs 25 and 26 courtesy Eric Fisher. Legs : Coxae black, strongly silver pruinose, white setose. Trochanters shiny dark red-brown to black, apruinose, fine white setose. Femora, tibiae and tarsi all dark red-brown to black. Macrosetae of legs black, setulae black and pale yellow (entirely black on tarsi). Claws (black), pulvilli (pale yellow) and empodia well developed. Wings ( Fig. 27 ): ♂ 6.3–6.4× 2.4 mm , ♀ 7.8× 2.8 mm . Veins dark red-brown, cell r 5 open, m 3 and cua closed and stalked, membrane unstained, transparent, microtrichial cover extensive, except along longitudinal veins in basal cells. Halter brown-red. Abdomen: Terga metallic blue-black, T1 dull silver pruinose and closely associated with T2 (may be fused together), T3–7 well-developed, wider than long, extensively shiny apruinose except for narrow posterolateral margins. T8 highly reduced and withdrawn under T7. Macrosetae weakly developed on T2 and T3 (possibly T3 of ♀ ), setae dorsally minute, black, laterally longish white. S1–2 closely associated, S3–7 moderately well developed, red-brown, uniformly fine dull silver pruinose, longish white setose, S8 highly reduced, membranous and poorly sclerotized. Male terminalia ( Figs 28–30 ): Rotated through at least 90°, largely withdrawn beneath T7. Epandrium deeply incised medially resulting in a pair of long epandrial lobes which converge distally. Epandrium broad proximally in lateral view, tapering to a narrowly rounded distal end. Proctiger well-developed, ventral lobes jutting out well beyond dorsal lobes which are clearly separated by an extensive membranous area. Gonocoxites composed of external and internal lobes. External lobe suboval in lateral view, a little longer than deep. Internal lobe well-developed slightly sigmoid in shape with upturned distal end. Gonostylus arising from base of internal lobe of gonocoxite, Y-shaped. Upper lobes of gonostylus curved and lying close to epandrial lobes, lower lobes well developed terminating at level of aedeagal tip. Hypandrium, poorly developed, approximately twice as long as broad in ventral view, with broadly rounded medial lobe. Aedeagal sheath broad both in lateral and ventral view, with small bifurcate terminal prongs. Female terminalia ( Figs 31–32 ): Simple, withdrawn under T7, setae weak, black, spines (acanthophorites) absent. T8 & S8 reduced to narrow rings. T9 about twice as wide as long, equipped with longish black setae laterally. S9 (subgenital plate) U-shaped. Proctiger poorly developed, dorsal lobes (cerci) weak, ventral lobes rounded, weakly defined posteriorly. Egg spherical c. 0.5 mm in diameter. Material eXamined: MADAGASCAR : 1♂ ‘ Malaise traps / primary / rainforest’, ‘ Madagascar : Tamatave / Torotorofotsy , Andasibe / ( Perinet ), 22km NW / 18°46.25'S 48°25.93'E / 23–25.x. 2004 , 960m. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & R. Harin’Hala’ ( BMSA ); 2♂ 1♀ ‘ Madagascar : Prov. / Fianarantsoa , 7 km / W Ranomafana [National Park 21°19'S 47°23'E , c. 1515 m ], 1100m / 1 – 7 November 1988 / W. E. Steiner’ , ‘USNMENT / [barcode] / [catalogue number - ♂ 00915297, 00915299, ♀ 00915298]’ ( USNM , NMSA 1♂ ) . Type material: Emmanual Delfosse (MNHN) kindly photographed Oldroyd’s (1960) unique holotype for me and provided details of all labels as follows: 1♂ holotype ‘Coll. Mus. Congo / Madagascar : / Ahitsitondrona XI-1949 / J. Vadon’, ‘ Laphria / atomentosa Oldroyd / det. H. Oldroyd 1956 / Holotype’, ‘Type’ [circular with red border] (MNHN). The genitalia, mounted in canada balsam on a cellulose strip and accompanying the specimen, were also photographed. Although I have not handled the holotype personally there is no doubt that material studied by me is conspecific. Type locality: There is no certainty surrounding the type locality. While ‘ Ahitsitondrona’ appears on the label Oldroyd (1960) records the locality as ‘ Ambohitsitondrona’ . Both these names do not appear in gazetteers consulted — although Dr Eric Fisher (pers. comm.) has informed me that there is apparently a small mountain peak in Mahajanga Province that bears the name ‘ Ambohitsitondrona’ [ 15°15'17"S 48°35'25"E , c. 1350 m ]. Coordinates are also available for a place called ‘ Ambohitsitondroinan’ [ 15°34'32"S 50°00'41"E , c. 740m ] in Toamasina Province , which may also be a possibility as it occurs within the Eastern Evergreen Forest biome along with other known localities. For the present, there is no certainty regarding the precise location of the type locality. Additional material : Dr Fisher informs me that he has eXtracted the following conspecific material from samples available to him. He also sent digital images which fully substantiate identification as E. atomentosa . MADAGASCAR : 1♂ ‘ Madagascar Toamagina Prov / Parc Nacional Andasibe ( Perinet ) / 19km E Moramanga [ 18°57'S 48°14'E , c. 960 m ], 1000m / in forest, colls: E.I. Schlinger , / M.E. Irwin , & H.H. Rasolondalao / MEI.99-MA-3 24-Xii-1999 ’ ( CAS ) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar : Vatovavy / Fitovinany Region , Ifanadiana / District , Ranomafana Nat’l Pk , / Vohiparara bridge, 17 km W of / Ranomafana , ex: malaise trap .’, ‘elev. 1109m , 1–9.iX.2002 , / 21°13.57'S , 47°22.19'E , / colls: M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala. / MA-02-D9A-40’ ( CAS ) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar Fianarantsoa / Prov. Parc Nacional Ranomafana / Bell Vue Trail , tropical forest / 21°15.6'S 47°25.6'E [ 21°15'36"S 47°25'36"E , c. 935 m ] 1000m / M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger / MEI 99-MA-7 21.Xii.1999 ’ ( CAS ) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar Fianarantsoa Prov. ; / Ranomafana Natl Park ; / Belle Vue at Talatakely ; el 1020m ; / 21°15.99'S 47°25.21'E ; / ex. Malaise in secondary tropical forest; 8–15.xi.2001 ; / California Acad of Sciences ; coll: M. Irwin , R. Harin’Hala / MA-02-09C-02’ ( CAS ) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar Fianarantsoa Prov. / Belle Vue , 1.2 km S Ranomafana / Nat’l Park entrance, malaise / in rainforest, 15/ 25.vii.2002 , / 1095m , R Harin’Hala , ME Irwin , / 21°15.99'S , 47°25.21'E , MG 9C 35’ ( EMFC ) . In addition to the above material Dr Fisher informs me that he has six female specimens that are atypical and may represent two additional species, or perhaps colour variants of atomentosa . These atypical specimens, listed below, do not have entirely blackish tibiae, and body setae are not almost entirely black. In the absence of males, I refrain from either including these specimens as atomentosa or describing them as new species, but plot their localities ( Fig. 37 ) to show the clearly allopatric nature of the distributions. Further collecting will no doubt provide the evidence needed to explain the variation seen. MADAGASCAR : 2♀ ‘Madagascar: Tulear / Province, Beza Mahafaly / Reserve, Parcelle 1 near / research station / 21–29 April 2003 ’, ‘ 23°41.19'S , 44°35.46'E / California Acad of Sciences / coll: R. Harin’Hala , malaise / trap in dry deciduous forest / elev 165m . MA-02-14A-57’ ( CAS ); 4♀ ‘ Madagascar , Province / d’Antsiranana. Montaigne / Francais , elev 150m / 30 January 2001 ’, ‘ 12°19.5'S 49°20'E [ 12°19'30"S 49°20'00"E , c. 226 m ] / California Acad of Sciences / M.E. Irwin coll. hand netted / along forested limestone / ridge. MA-01-06-04’ ( CAS ) . Figs 28–33. Ericomyia atomentosa ( Oldroyd, 1960 ) terminalia: (28, 29) ♂ (7 km W Ranomafana): (28) lateral, (29) dorsal and (30) ventral views. (31, 32) ♀: (31) dorsal and (32) ventral views; (33) Egg ventral view. Scale bar (31, 32) = 1 mm. Distribution, phenology and biology: Distributional data for typical atomentosa is limited to 7 localities, grouped in two areas along the mountainous and forested eastern mountain range of Madagascar ( Fig. 37 ). Atypical specimens from two places far removed from the known distribution of typical specimens, plotted in Fig. 37 , suggest that there may be at least two undescribed species or widely separated colour variants. Typical atomentosa have only been collected in July and between September and December (Table 1) and are associated with primary rain forest situations (sometimes sympatric with No. coerulescens ).Atypical specimens have been collected in January and April and found in ‘dry deciduous forest’ or ‘along forested limestone ridge’, further suggesting that these specimens may not be conspecific. No prey records are available. Although nothing is known of the biology, females have short, unspecialized ovipositors, and eggs, found in the macerated female, are spherical, suggesting the existence of no special oviposition strategy; eggs probably being simply dropped to the ground at random.