Euscelidia abbreviata, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 15-16

Euscelidia abbreviata sp. n.

Figs 9A, C, D , 10 , 47

Etymology: Latin adjective abbreviatus = shortened; refers to the short postpedicel.

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the short pped (as short as scp and ped combined), the broad apruinose median stripe and 2 apruinose lateral spots on the sct, and the few microtrichia on the wings.

Description: Head: Black; fc silver pruinose, fc gib indistinct, mystax white, 6 macrosetae; prob and plp brown-black, setae white; oc tr white pruinose dorsally; occ silver pruinose, setae white; Antennae - scp brown, brown setae ventrally, white pruinose; ped brown, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped brown, short, as short as scp and ped combined, white pruinose proximally and ventrally; apsel brown.

Thorax: Brown to black; ppro peg small, distinct, silver pruinose; sct predominantly black, antero-laterally brown, predominantly silver pruinose, median stripe, not reaching posterior margin, and 2 lateral spots, not reaching anterior and posterior margins, apruinose, white setae on margins; macrosetae:black, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl silver pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s short, brown; Legs - brown; fem brown, setae white, meta fem slightly clubbed; tib brown; tar brown, setae black; emp long, longer than half of length of clw; Wings - hyaline, very few microtrichia in distal half; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt brown.

Abdomen: Brown; T brown pruinose, T1 with long white setae laterally, T 2 in proximal third with white setae laterally, remaining T with short white and yellow setae, S grey

A B C

D

pruinose; ơ terminalia Fig. 10 - sur blunt, rounded distally, narrow ventral lobe proximally; hypd ventral margin straight; gonst long; d aed shea tubular, medium length; lat apod simple.

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘S. India: Karnataka. Mudigere area , c. 900 m 2–10.xi.1977 Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp. / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia abbreviata sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in good condition (abdomen broken, attached together with ơ terminalia to specimens pin in micro vial), and is deposited in the ZMUC.

A ^ paratype is labelled ‘ Nilgiri Hills Gudalur S, India iv 49 [iv.1949] (date handwritten) / P.S. Nathan Collector / PARATYPE Euscelidia abbreviata sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimen is double mounted (attached to triangular piece of cardboard), is in good condition (left meso leg and meta tib broken), and is deposited in the BMNH .

Type locality and distribution ( Fig. 47 ): India, Karnataka Province , Mudigere, 1307'N 7537'E. India.

Figures

Fig. 9. Antenna lateral. A. Euscelidia abbreviata sp. n. B. E. venusta sp. n. Claw and empodium. C, D. E. abbreviata sp. n. C. Dorsal. D. Lateral. E. E. venusta sp. n. Dorsal. F. E. lata sp. n. Lateral. Arrows point at empodium. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 10. ơ terminalia of Euscelidia abbreviata sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 47. Distribution. Euscelidia abbreviata sp. n., squares; E. glabra sp. n., star; E. marion, circles.