Euscelidia cobice, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 42-43

Euscelidia cobice sp. n.

Figs 24A–D , 36

Etymology: The specific name ‘ cobice’ is a noun in apposition that refers to the Copenhagen Biosystematics Centre (COBICE) to acknowledge the generous funding by the European Commission ‘Improving Human Potential’ programme ‘Transnational Access to Major Research Infrastructures’ that made my research at this institution possible.

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the predominantly yellow pruinose sct, the densely arranged microtrichia on the wings, and features of the ơ terminalia (sur with large ventral lobe, d aed shea tubular).

Description: Head: Black; fc silver pruinose, fc gib distinct, mystax white, many macrosetae; prob and plp brownish-black, setae white; oc tr apruinose; occ silver and yellowish pruinose, setae yellow; Antennae - scp brown, brown setae ventrally; ped brown, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped brown, white pruinose; apsel brown.

Thorax: Black; ppro peg small, distinct, silver pruinose; sct bluish-black, predominantly yellow pruinose, median stripe and 2 lateral spots may be distinctly apruinose, sometimes fused to form 1 large apruinose spot, yellow setae scattered on surface; macrosetae: black, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl yellow pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, yellow; Legs - yellow to brown; pro fem yellow, meso fem yellow proximally, remaining part brown, meta fem in proximal 1/3 pale yellow, clubbed, club in proximal half brown, distal half yellow, setae white, tib yellow proximally, remaining part brown, pale yellow stripe not reaching tip on meta tib anteriorly; first tar in proximal half yellow, brown in distal half, remaining tar brown, black setae; emp short, about a quarter of length of clw; Wings - hyaline, but microtrichia evenly scattered on remigium, brown stained; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt light brown.

Abdomen: Brown, sometimes anterior margins of T orange; T predominantly brown pruinose, anterior, lateral, and posterior margins grey pruinose, T 2 in proximal 1/3 with apruinose spot, T1 with long white and black setae laterally, T 2 in proximal half with white setae laterally, remaining T with white and brown setae, S grey pruinose; ơ terminalia Figs 24A–D - sur pointed distally, large lobe ventrally; hypd ventral margin straight; d aed shea tubular, medium length; lat apod bifurcated.

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘S. India: Karnataka. Mudigere area , c. 900 m 2–10.xi.1977 Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp. / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia cobice sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in very good condition (right meta leg broken), and is deposited in the ZMUC.

7^^ 1ơ paratypes are labelled ‘S. India: Karnataka. Mudigere area , c. 900 m 2– 10.xi.1977 Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp . / PARATYPE Euscelidia cobice sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimens are directly mounted, are in very good to excellent condition, and are deposited in the ZMUC .

Type locality and distribution ( Fig. 36 ): India, Karnataka Province , Mudigere, 1307'N 7537'E. India.

Material examined: INDIA: 2^^ Kodagu, 12 25'N 75 45'E, 24.x.–16.xi.1915. Depository: BMNH .

A B C

D E F

G H I

A - D E - I

Figures

Fig. 24. ơ terminalia. A–D. Euscelidia cobice sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D.Aedeagus lateral. E–I. E. crena sp. n. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Lateral apodeme posterior. G. Dorsal. H. Ventral. I. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 36. Distribution. Euscelidia cobice sp. n., circles; E. flava sp. n., squares; E. prolata sp. n., star; E. splendida sp. n., triangle.