Choerades Walker, 1851

Londt, Jason G. H. & Dikow, Torsten, 2019, A review of Southern African Choerades Walker, 1851 with the description of a new species (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 60 (1), pp. 31-65 : 35-36

Choerades Walker, 1851

Choerades Walker, 1851: 109. Type species: Choerades aurigena Walker, 1851 [= Laphria vulcanus Wiedemann, 1828 (Oriental)], by monotypy.

Diagnosis.

The following diagnosis is compiled from key characters used by Londt & Dikow (2017) and other characters common to all Afrotropical species. Usually shiny black flies, ranging from 1-2 cm in length and slightly dorsoventrally flattened, with the following combination of characters.

Head: Antennal postpedicel at most twice as long as scape and pedicel combined; postpedicel with terminal pit enclosing a seta-like sensory element; facial protuberance well-developed in dorsal and ventral regions (depressed centrally); face with shiny scale-like setae laterally, adjacent to eye margin (Figs 16-17); proboscis long, straight, narrow and laterally compressed (knife-like, Figs 16-17); maxillary palpus cylindrical, 2-segmented.

Thorax: Prosternum fused to proepisternum; postmetacoxal area membranous; anepisternum with at least one macroseta at supero-posterior angle, in front of wing insertion. Mesonotum and scutellum commonly covered with fine, shiny yellow setae (Figs 14, 18).

Legs: Usually predominantly black, but femora and tibiae may be partly or extensively yellow (Figs 15, 19); prothoracic tibia without spine-like processes; metathoracic femur not obviously expanded medio-distally, with regular ventro-distal macrosetae (i.e. not inserted on tubercles); claws and pulvilli present and well-developed.

Wings (Figs 3-8): Alula well-developed; cells r1, m3 and cua closed and stalked.

Abdomen: Tergite 2 wider than long; sternite 1 confined beneath tergite 1; ovipositor short and not markedly tubular.