A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae)
Author
Londt, Jason G. H.
text
African Invertebrates
2005
2005-12-31
46
1937
203
252
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.7666864
2305-2562
7666864
Afroholopogon uranopia
sp. n.
Figs 3
,
51–53
,
78
Etymology: Gr.
ouranos
(heaven, sky) and
opia
(pertaining to sight). Refers to the shape of the eyes which appear to be tilted toward the sky.
Description: Based on
holotype
.
Head
: Antenna: Black, fine silver pruinose, brown macrosetae (few) and fine white setae; segmental formula 1.0:1.0:2.9:0.3:1.1; antennal sockets set low on head (i.e. they lie below an imaginary line connecting widest points across head in anterior view). Face black, apruinose except for narrow silver pruinose lateral strips, mystax white, extending over ventral half of face (dorsal part asetose). Face width:head width ratio 1.0:6.0 (i.e. face narrow). Eyes appearing to be tilted backwards (
Fig. 3
, ơ from GraaffReinet). Frons and vertex black, mostly shiny apruinose, white setose. Occiput black, silver pruinose, white setose. Proboscis red-brown, white setose. Palpi dark red-brown, white setose.
Thorax
: Mesonotum black, shiny apruinose except for narrow silver lateral margin and narrow band from posterior margin to just anterior of transverse suture. Setation:
ac
– few fine white;
dc
– few fine white;
npl
– 2 dark brown;
sa
– 1 long yellow-white;
pa
– 2 weak yellow-white. Scutellum black, largely shiny apruinose but with weakly silver pruinose anterior margin, disc asetose, margin with approx. 20 thin white setae. Pleura black, silver pruinose except for apruinose areas on anepisternum, katepisternum and meron. Wing 2.9 x
1.1 mm
, transparent, microtrichia largely absent, basal angle of r 4 19°. Halter dark brown with yellow-white knob. Legs:
cx
black, silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters dark red-brown;
fem
dark red-brown with orange-brown distal tips, white setose;
tib
orange-brown with red-brown distal ends, white setose;
tar
red-brown, white and black.
Abdomen
: Terga black, shiny apruinose except for silver lateral margins, setae tiny black and longer white. Sterna dark red-brown, silver pruinose except for a triangular area on each segment, white setose. Genitalia: ơ
holotype
not dissected and macerated, topotypic
paratype
ơ illustrated (
Figs 51–53
): Hypopygium unrotated;
epand
(in dorsal view) elongate, distal margin concave and broadly bilobed;
proc
well developed and projecting well beyond
epand
;
goncx
externally distally bilobed and projecting (in lateral view) beyond levels attained by
epand
and
hypd
. Aedeagus elongate, downward curved and projecting beyond all other structures;
hypd
(in lateral view), short, gradually tapering (in ventral view) to broadly truncate distal margin.
Variation: Individual variation within sexes is minimal. Some sexual dimorphism is evident in that mesonotal and abdominal pruinescence of females is much more extensive, of complex arrangement and mainly golden in appearance. Female eyes are not as obviously anterodorsally flattened as seen in males.
Type specimens:
SOUTH AFRICA
: ơ
holotype
, 9 ơ 8^
paratypes
, ‘
S Africa
:
Eastern Cape
/
GraaffReinet
760 m
/
Urquhart Caravan Park
/
32°14'16''S
24°31'42''E
/
26–28.x.2004
J&A Londt
/
Succulent
rocky slopes’ (1ơ 1^
BMNH
); 1ơ 2^
paratypes
, ‘
Sth Africa
:
Cape
Prov
/
Karoo Nature Reserve
/
West of Graaff Reinet
/
32°14'S
24°29'E
900 m
/
J&H Londt Rocky
slope /
Savannah
7–8.xii.1989
’; 1^
paratype
, ‘
Sth Africa
:
Cape
Prov
/
Graaff-Reinet
/
Urquhart Park Caravan
/
Park
4–6.xii.1988
/
32°15'S
24°33'E
/
J G H Londt Riverine
/ veget.
Sandy
ground’
.
Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Found only in the GraaffReinet area of
Eastern Cape
(
Fig. 78
). The species flies from October to December (no records for November). All specimens were found resting on large smooth boulders on east-facing slopes.
Similar species:
A. dasys
and
pardosoros
(see discussion).