Choerades analogos, Londt, Jason G. H. & Dikow, Torsten, 2019

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 : 36-37

Choerades analogos sp. n. Figs 2, 3, 13, 27

Laphria serpentina : Oldroyd 1970: 227 (key); 1974: 102 (key).

Choerades serpentina : Londt 1977: 47 (fig. 5 ♂ terminalia).

Taxonomy.

Since the reallocation of Laphria serpentina Bezzi, 1908 to Andrenosoma by Tomasovic (2007) the published records of this species by Oldroyd (1974) and Londt (1977) clearly require re-evaluation. These specimens (listed below) clearly belong to Choerades and so were incorrectly assigned to serpentina at those times. Until such times as a complete review of the Afrotropical fauna is undertaken it is appropriate to provide this fairly distinctive Southern African species with a name.

Etymology.

Gr. analogos - resembling. Refers to the superficial resemblance of this species to Andrenosoma serpentina .

Description.

Based on all material studied. Entire holotype as illustrated (Fig. 2).

Head: Black, silver pubescent, black and white setose. Antenna black, scape and pedicel black setose (a few white setae may be present). Face black, silver pubescent. Mystax predominantly black (a few white setae may be present) with macrosetae confined to elevated parts of facial protuberance. Lateral parts of face with groups of glistening silvery scale-like setae. Frons and vertex silver pubescent, largely asetose except for black setae adjacent to eye margins. Ocellar tubercle prominent, weakly setose except for a pair of strong ocellar macrosetae. Occiput silver pubescent, strongly setose (black dorsally, white ventrally). Palps black and white setose.

Thorax: Black, silver pubescent, black and white setose. Cervical sclerite black and white (♀) or entirely white (♂) setose. Mesonotum weakly silver pubescent, predominantly black setose. Lateral macrosetae black (2 notopleurals, 3 supra-alars, 4 postalars). Scutellum black, disc fine silver pubescent, fine white setose, apical parts shiny apubescent, c. 12 apical scutellar macrosetae (may be black and white or entirely white). Pleura silver pubescent, fine black and white setose. 1-3 black anepisternal macrosetae. Katatergal setae well-developed, mostly black (dorsally) and white (ventrally). Anatergites weakly silver pubescent, asetose.

Legs: Entirely black, coxae silver pubescent, other segments apubescent. Trochanters white setose, femora and tibiae black and white setose, tarsi black setose.

Wings (Fig. 3): Length (humeral crossvein to tip) x breadth (maximum): Holotype ♂ 10.9 × 3.6 mm, paratype ♂ 11.9 × 4.1 mm, paratype ♀ 12.3 × 4.3-13.4 × 4.5 mm. Veins black, membrane transparent, distal two-thirds microtrichose, basal cells almost devoid of microtrichia except distally.

Abdomen: Black, T1-2 weakly silver pubescent, black and white setose. T1 with 2-4 black and/or white discal macrosetae. T1-2 long white setose (setae somewhat recumbent).

Terminalia: ♂ terminalia as in Fig. 13 (previously published as fig. 5 by Londt (1977) for C. serpentina ). Hypopygium rotated through 180°. Gonocoxites abut ventrally, apparently partly fused medially, hypandrium apparently absent. Note: In contrast to other Southern African species analogos sp. n. possesses an exceptionally long aedeagus that projects far beyond the level attained by the gonostyli. Like nigrescens and multipunctata there is a single pair of exceptionally long, closely associated macrosetae at about midlength on the ventral face of the gonocoxite.

Type material.

Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ 'KwaZulu Natal, RSA / Fanies Island [c. 28°06'S, 32°27'E 5m] St / Lucia 10-15/2/1997 / Coll. A Weaving’, 'Dip 7', 'Prey identification / Order: Hemiptera / Family: Flatidae / Other: / Det: JGH Londt’, 'Choerades / serpentina / Bezzi, 1908 / Det. JGH Londt’, NMSA-DIP-08852, (NMSA).

Paratypes: NAMIBIA: 1♀ 'Katima Mulilo [c. 17°30'22"S, 24°16'50"E 950m] / SE 2417Ad 6/I/1981, C.L. v/d Hoven / Dept. of Entomology / University of Pretoria’, 'Choerades / serpentina / Bezzi, 1908 / Det. JGH Londt’, NMSA-DIP-08848 (NMSA); SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ 'South Africa: Natal / False Bay Park [c. 27°58'34"S, 32°21'47"E 35m] 2732CD / 11.ii.1988 A.J. Lambiris / 27°59'30"S, 32°21'45"E / Flew into car. Woodland’, 'Choerades / serpentina / Bezzi, 1908 / Det. JGH Londt’ NMSA-DIP-81675 (NMSA); 1♂ 'Dukuduku Nat. [State Forest c. 28°21'53"S, 32°20'10"E 35m] / 22-24.iii.1968 / Potgieter & Goode’, 'Collection / Transvaal / Museum’, 'Laphria / serpentina Bezzi / det. H. Oldroyd, 1972', 'Choerades / serpentina / Bezzi, 1908 / Det. JGH Londt’, NMSA-DIP-08849 (NMSA)*.

Additional studied material without type status.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1♀ ‘Paratypus’ [of Laphria serpentina Bezzi, 1908], 'Musee / Du Congo-Belge / Leo-Stanleyville [c. 00°30'59"N, 025°12'00"E] / Weyns’, 'R. Det. / 243' (MRAC).

Note: Bezzi (1908) based his description of serpentina on two specimens. The male ‘Type’ was given Lectotype status by Tomasovic (2007) when he transferred the species to Andrenosoma . The female ‘Paratypus’, listed above, was not mentioned by Tomasovic (2007). This specimen, which accompanies the male, is clearly not conspecific and definitely belongs to Choerades . While it appears to represent the species here called analogos sp. n. it falls outside the area covered by this study and could therefore represent another species. A complete review of the Afrotropical fauna is necessary to provide taxonomic stability.

Additional material not studied.

Oldroyd (1974: 102) lists material from 'Mt Mlanje [c. 15°56'55"S, 35°35'26"E 2940m] (Neave)'. The senior author has seen photographs of the following specimens, identified as serpentina , which will need careful reexamination when the entire Afrotropical fauna is reviewed.

MALAWI: 1♀ 'Laphria / serpentina Bezzi / det. H. Oldroyd, 1963', 'Mlanje [c. 15°56'55"S, 35°35'26"E 2940m] / Nyasaland [= Malawi] / 12.11.1914 / S.A. Neave’, 'Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent.. Brit. Mus. / 1923-340', 'serpentina / [illegible]', ‘NHMUK012810848’ (BMNH); 1♀ 'Nairobi [c. 01°17'32"S, 36°49'19"E 1680m] / 25.5.06', 'F.J. Jackson Coll. / Brit Mus. / 1939-398', ‘NHMUK012810849’ (BMNH).

Distribution, phenology and biology.

A poorly-collected species with an apparently wide Southern African distribution (Fig. 27, see also Fig. 1 for DR Congo and Kenya records) involving South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and Namibia. Available data suggest adults are active during late summer (Table 1). The species is apparently associated with forested habitats. C. analogos sp. n. is distributed within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, but also occurs outside of it. A single prey record is known ( Hemiptera : Flatidae ).