Trichardis lavignei, Londt, 2008

Londt, Jason G. H., 2008, A review of Afrotropical Trichardis Hermann, 1906, and the description of the first Oriental representative of the genus (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 171-171 : 188

Trichardis lavignei sp. n.

Figs 25, 26

Etymology: Named for Dr Robert Lavigne whose collecting activities in Somalia have added significantly to our understanding of Asilidae from this part of Africa.

Description (based on holotype in good condition; the genitalia, macerated and stored in a capsule some years before this study, are intact, but somewhat squashed and inflexible, making it difficult to illustrate the structures in the standard manner used in this paper): Head: Dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose except for area around antennal bases and ocellar tubercle, setae black, yellow and white. Antenna dark red-brown, mainly yellow setose (a few black); postpedicel elongate spindle-shaped (L:D=4.2:1). Mystax black, confined to lower half of face (which in profile has a slightly concave area centrally). Ocellar tubercle with 2 macrosetae. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown. Thorax: Dark red-brown, postpronotal and postalar lobes and anterior part of scutellum orange-brown, silver pruinose except for bare areas, setae yellowish.Postpronotum apruinose except for a tiny area medially, mesonotum extensively apruinose except for narrow lateral and posterior margins, macrosetae yellow, setulae yellow and white. Scutellum entirely pruinose.Anepisternum with pale yellow posterior macroseta, dorsally pruinose, ventrally apruinose. Proepimeron pruinose; katepisternum pruinose posteriorly, apruinose anteriorly; anepisternum extensively apruinose. Legs: Dark red-brown, femora and tibiae paler proximally, pulvilli and empodium of similar length. Hind femur dark red-brown with paler proximal end, length:height ratio 3.2:1, ventral tubercles well-developed. Hind tibia with ventrodistal spur. Wing: 4.0× 1.6 mm. Costal vein extends along most of wing margin, weakly along anal cell, absent from alula. Membrane extensively microtrichose—discal cell microtrichose but weakly so at proximal end, cell r 5 entirely microtrichose.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown proximally becoming orange-brown distally, macrosetae pale yellow, setulae white. T2 dark red-brown, entirely apruinose, tufts of white setulae posterolaterally.

ơ genitalia ( Figs 25, 26 ): Epandrium significantly longer than basal part of gonocoxite (i.e. excluding distal projection of gonocoxite and gonostylus). Proctiger moderately dorsoventrally compressed. Hypandrium greatly reduced and simple. Gonocoxite in ventral view with slender projections distally and without distally arranged macrosetae; mediodistal projection unusually slender and not medially situated as in most other species. Gonostylus slender, fairly straight, with slightly hooked tip. Aedeagal prongs more or less straight, with small sinuous terminal filamentous tubules.

Holotype: SOMALIA: ơ ‘ Somalia / Mogadishu [02°02'N: 45°21'E], / v-10-86 / R. Lavigne’ ( NMSA).

Paratype: 1^‘ Somalia / Mogadishu / vi-7-86 / R. Lavigne’ ( NMSA) .

Distribution and biology: The species is recorded only from the type locality. Adults have been recorded in May and June (Table 1). No biological information exists.

Similar species: T. lavignei can be linked with katangaensis in that both species possess hind tibial spurs. However, both are otherwise distinctive species.

Figures

Figs 23–28. Trichardis species: (23, 24) T. katangaensis Oldroyd, 1970, male genitalia, paratype, Kapanga: (23) lateral, (24) ventral; (25, 26) T. lavignei sp. n., holotype: (25) male genitalia, dorsolateral, (26) posterior view of distal end of right hind tibia; (27, 28) T. leucocoma (Wulp, 1899), male genitalia, paratype, Shaik Othman: (27) lateral, (28) ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.