Choerades komurai (Matsumura)

Young, Charles L. & Hradský, Milan M., 2007, Robber flies of South Korea III. South Korean species of the Subfamily Laphriinae Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1388, pp. 1-23 : 12-13

Choerades komurai (Matsumura)

( Figs 5 , 11 , 17 , 45 , 46)

Laphria komurai Matsumura, 1911:70 .

Choerades lubarskii Esipenko, 1969: 63 .

Choerades komurai (Matsumura) : Hisamatsu, 1965: 203.

Medium sized, pale blue black flies with gold/yellow hair, 11–19 mm. The long, gold appressed hair on the scutum and scutellum, and the long gold hair on the apical 3 tergites distinguish the fly. There exists a wide variation within the species in regards to chaetotaxy and shape of abdomen ( Lehr, 1992: 83). One South Korean male specimen shows tergites 2–4 narrowed apically; tergites 5 ­7 widened apically.

Redescription. Head: Face white pollinose with long yellow hair. Mystax mostly black, long, intermingled with shorter yellow hair. Long, thick, yellow parafacial hair. Orbital hair long, black. Proboscis flattened laterally; apex punctulate (with pits) and fine hair. Postocular hair yellow, merging into black. Ocellar tubercle with 2 long black dorsal bristles and 2 anterior bristles. Antenna black with black hair; relative lengths of segments: 3>1>2; postpedicel (segment 3) with a groove on apical 1/3 of segment. Thorax: Scutum pale blue covered in bright gold appressed hair, intermingled evenly with sparse black erect hair. Postpronotal hair black. Chaetotaxy with 2 notopleural; 3–4 supraalar; 4 postalar bristles, all black. Long fine black dorsocentral hair erect on appressed gold mats of hair. Discal scutellar hair long, yellow appressed, similar to that on posterior of scutum apex. Scutellar margin ringed with long yellow and black bristles. Lateral aspect of thorax black, gray tomentose. Anepisternum with long yellow and black hair, 3 strong black posterior bristles. Katatergal bristles yellow and black. Anatergite bare, yellow pollinose. Legs: Entirely black with gold hair and black bristles. Wings: Tinged black except at base. Abdomen: Black with gold hair. Basal 4 tergites with sparse long gold hair; apical 3 tergites with much denser gold hair covering integument. Tergites 1–4 with long lateral margin gold hair. Male genitalia: ( Figs 5 , 11 & 17 .) Gonocoxite with a sharp, thin, apical, fin­like projection of fused bristles. Female: Similar to male except less setose overall, abdomen clavate.

Material examined. Chollanam­Do Province: 1ɗ, 3Ψ: 1/VI /200– 29/VII/2002, Chirisan N.P. Piagol Valley, Chiri Mt. 570 m., 35°16’39”N, 127°33’91”E. Kang­won­Do Province: 2ɗ, 1Ψ: 12/VI/2004, Ch’unch’on­ Shi, Namsan­Myon Kangch’on, Hongchon River (east), 37°42’40”N, 127°35’26”E; 1ɗ, 1Ψ: 8/VI/2003 – 24/ VI/2006, Odaesan N. P. Chinbu­Myon 660– 900m., 37°44’57”N, 128°34’19”E.

Kyongsangnam­Do Province: 9ɗ, 4Ψ: 8/V/2002 – 30/VI/2004, Macheon Chirisan Mt. 705m., 35°20’55”N, 127°38’21”E.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Choerades males — lateral views. 1. C. amurensis. 2. C. caucasicus. 3. C. caudatus. 4. C. japonicus. 5. C. komurai. 6. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Choerades males — ventral views. 7. C. amurensis. 8. C. caucasicus. 9. C. caudatus. 10. C. japonicus. 11. C. komurai. 12. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Choerades males — gonopods. 13. C. amurensis. 14. C. caucasicus. 15. C. caudatus. 16. C. japonicus. 17. C. komurai. 18. C. nigrovittatus.

FIGURES 45 – 50. 45. Choerades komurai, ♂ dorsal. 46. Choerades komurai, ♂ lateral. 47. Choerades nigrovittatus, ♂ dorsal. 48. Choerades nigrovittatus, ♂ lateral. 49. Choerades sp., Ψ dorsal. 50. Choerades sp., Ψ lateral.