Afroholopogon meilloni ( Oldroyd, 1974 ) Londt, 2005

Londt, Jason G. H., 2005, A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 46 (1937), pp. 203-252 : 220

Afroholopogon meilloni ( Oldroyd, 1974) , comb. n.

Figs 36–38 , 79

Rhabdogaster meilloni Oldroyd, 1974: 67 (in key), fig. 61 male genitalia. Type locality: South Africa ( Londt

1993: 391).

Redescription: Based on holotype.

Head: Antenna: Dark red-brown, fine silver pruinose, black setose; segmental formula 1.0:0.9:3.3:0.5:1.6. Face black, entirely silver-gold pruinose, mystax black covering about 70% of face (setae absent dorsally). Face width:head width ratio 1.0:4.5. Frons and vertex dark red-brown, entirely red-gold pruinose, long dark red-brown setose. Occiput dark red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose (few dark red-brown dorsally). Proboscis red-brown, white setose. Palpi orange-brown, plp 1 white, plp 2 red-brown setose.

Thorax: Mesonotum black postpronotal and postalar lobes brown-orange, red-gold pruinose with apruinose postpronotal lobes, medial stripes and mediolateral spots. Setation: ac – fine long dark red-brown; dc – fine long dark red-brown; npl – 2 moderate dark red-brown; sa – 1 long thin dark red-brown; pa – fine long dark red-brown. Scutellum black, largely shiny apruinose tiny gold pruinose area anterolaterally, disc asetose, margin with 5 thin dark red-brown setae. Pleura brown-orange, entirely goldsilver pruinose except for small apruinose spot on katepisternum, sparse pale yellow setose except for long thin dark red-brown katatergals. Wing 5.1 x 1.6 mm, membrane slightly yellow-brown, microtrichia red-brown, covering entire membrane, basal angle of r 4 13°. Halter pale brown with brown-rimmed white knob. Legs: cx brown-orange, silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters brown-orange; fem brown-orange, fem 1 brown-orange with dark red-brown ventrally, fem 2 dark red-brown with brown-orange dorsally and apically, fine white setose; tib brown-orange (tib 1–2), red-brown (tib 3), macrosetae black, setae fine yellow; tar brown-orange, macrosetae black, setae black and yellow.

Abdomen: Terga dark red-brown with brown-orange posterolateral parts, shiny apruinose except for narrow silver lateral margins, small fine dark red-brown setose dorsally longer white setose laterally. Sterna brown-orange, entirely gold pruinose, long fine white setose. Genitalia: Holotype ơ illustrated ( Figs 36–38 ): Hypopygium unrotated; epand (in dorsal view) deeply incised to form basally fused acutely pointed lobes; goncx externally distally unilobed and projecting (in lateral view) beyond level attained by either epand or hypd; hypd (in lateral view) moderately long and projecting distally beyond level attained by epand, tapering rapidly (in ventral view) to trifurcate medial process where central element is elongate and distally slightly club-shaped.

Variation: Sexes similar. Little can be said as there are only two known specimens.

Type specimens (seen): SOUTH AFRICA: ơ holotype, 1^ paratype ( meilloni ) ‘Small bush, forest edge. / Eshowe [2853S 3128E] – Zululand. / Coll: (B. DeM). [Botha de Meillon] / 9.6.37. Coll: 1660’, ‘ Rhabdogaster / meilloni sp. n. / det. H. Oldroyd 1972 / HOLOTYPE’ (BMNH).

Note: It is interesting to note that even after carefully drawing attention to the importance of a metacoxal bridge in defining Rhabdogaster, Oldroyd (1974) misplaced this species which clearly possesses a membranous postmetacoxal area.

Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Known only from the type locality in KwaZulu-Natal ( Fig. 79 ), and collected only in June.

Similar species: A. vumba (see discussion).

Figures

Figs 33–44. Afroholopogon species, male genitalia: (33–35) A. mauros sp. n., paratype, Ellisras: (33) lateral, (34) dorsal, (35) ventral; (36–38) A. meilloni (Oldroyd, 1974), holotype, Eshowe: (36) lateral, (37) dorsal, (38) ventral; (39–41) A. melas sp. n., paratype, Franschhoek Pass: (39) lateral, (40) dorsal, (41) ventral; (42–44) A. pardosoros sp. n., holotype, Tierberg Nature Reserve: (42) lateral, (43) dorsal, (44) ventral. Arrow indicates a dent in epandrial lobe. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 79. Southern African distribution of Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 species: argos – closed circle, mauros – open circle, meilloni – closed square, melas – open square, peregrinus – closed triangle.