The genus Tachydromia Meigen (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Afrotropics Author Shamshev, Igor Author Grootaert, Patrick text African Invertebrates 2010 2010-05-31 51 1 207 207 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.051.0106 journal article 10.5733/afin.051.0106 2305-2562 7913431 Tachydromia petrabilis Smith, 1969 Fig. 12 Tachydromia petrabilis : Smith 1969: 73 , figs 82 (wing), 83 (right surstylus). Type locality: South Africa , Drakensberg Mts, Royal Natal National Park. Diagnosis: Recognised by a combination of the following characters: occiput almost entirely shining; prothoracic sclerites (including postpronotal lobe) with inconspicuous pruinosity; legs with all femora entirely brownish; wing with bands connected on cell r 1 ; male mid femur with rows of unmodified anteroventral and posteroventral short setae. Redescription: Male : Length : Body 1.5 mm , wing 1.5 mm . Head: Eyes with posterior margin slightly produced beyond ocellar tubercle; vertex broader than frons in front of ocellar tubercle. Occiput, including vertex, entirely shining in holotype (very narrowly finely pollinose behind eyes in paratype female); 2 moderately long postvertical setae. Ocellar tubercle shining, ocellars minute. Frons shining, slightly widened toward ocellar tubercle. Antenna with postpedicel and stylus brownish, scape and pedicel somewhat paler. Postpedicel subglobular; stylus subapical, very long, nearly 3× as long as pedicel and postpedicel combined. Palpus unmodified, slender, shorter than proboscis, blackish; clothed in silvery setae, with rather short (slightly shorter than palpus) black subapical seta. Thorax : Black, almost entirely shining, prothoracic sclerites (including postpronotal lobe) with inconspicuous pruinosity, scutellum and mediotergite (= metanotum) densely tomentose. Postpronotal lobe large, elongate, lacking conspicuous setae. Mesonotum with 1 long notopleural, 1 similar postalar and 4 scutellars (lateral pair very short, apical pair somewhat longer than notopleural seta, subparallel); acrostichals lacking; dorsocentrals uniserial, mostly minute, in holotype prescutellar pair obscured by pin (in paratype prescutellars very short, nearly as long as lateral scutellars); mesosternum and metasternum bare between posterior four coxae. Legs : Fore and hind coxae yellow, mid coxa brownish basally; femora and tibiae brownish (the former paler on extreme base, rather yellowish on hind femur); tarsomeres 1 and 2 brownish apically, remaining tarsomeres entirely brownish. Coxae with yellowish unmodified setae. Fore femur thickened, pale pubescent ventrally, with yellowish anteroventral and posteroventral setulae becoming longer basally. Fore tibia slightly spindle-shaped. Mid femur slender, with rows of anteroventral and posteroventral spine-like setae (the latter darker and stronger). Mid tibia with short apical projection, bearing ventral spinule-like setulae. Hind leg unmodified, lacking prominent setae. Wing : Normally developed, rounded at apex, with unmodified venation; two broad brownish bands connected on cell r 1 . One short costal bristle present. Vein R 2+3 strongly arched about middle toward costa. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 parallel near wing apex. Vein CuM distinct throughout. Crossveins r–m and bm–cu broadly separated. Squama dusky yellow with concolorous fringe. Halter with pale knob and brownish yellow stem. Abdomen : Brownish, shining, covered with scattered black setae longer on pregenital segment; segments 1–7 unmodified. Terminalia small, rather elongate oval, blackish brown. We did not dissect the holotype male to examine the terminalia but Smith (1969: 73) indicates that they are very similar to T. lilaniensis . His fig. 82 is the right surstylus viewed from the inner side, which is subtriangular, with a deep notch on the lower (dorsal) margin, bearing several subapical spinules on inner side. Female . As in male, but mid tibia with hardly prominent subapical projection, cercus brownish, long, slender, covered with minute setulae. Holotype (examined): ơ SOUTH AFRICA : KwaZulu-Natal : on boulders / stream edge / 12.ix.63 / 1500 m [hand-written]; Royal Natal National Park [ 28°41.3'S : 28°56.2'E ], Drakensberg Mts. / B. & P. Stuckenberg; running over lichenous boulders with the chalcid Holceupelmus [hand-written]; The chalcid was Holceupelmus sp. [hand-written] R.D. Eady det. 1963; HOLOTYPE ơ Tachydromia petrabilis [species name hand-written] K.G.V. Smith (NMSA). Note : The holotype is in good condition. Paratype (examined): ^same data as in holotype ( NMSA ) . Distribution: South Africa , Lesotho . This species may have a wide distribution because, according to labels ( Smith 1969 ), it was collected over a long period including September, January and April. The flies were taken on boulders near a stream edge. Remarks: Smith (1969) described this species after several specimens taken from three localities in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho .