Euscelidia datis ( Walker, 1849 )

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 48-51

Euscelidia datis ( Walker, 1849) ( E. datis species-group)

Figs 26 , 28G–I, N

Leptogaster datis Walker, 1849: 483 ; Hull 1962: 300.

Euscelidia datis, Hermann 1926: 147 ; Oldroyd 1939: 28; Janssens 1953: 6 1954 b: 400; Theodor 1976: 20;

Oldroyd 1980: 356.

Lasiocnemus pilipes Curran, 1927: 2 ; Hull 1962: 309. syn. n.

Euscelidia pilipes, Oldroyd 1980: 357 (as junior synonym of rapax ).

Redescription: Head: Black; fc yellow pruinose, fc gib indistinct, mystax yellow, many macrosetae; oc tr apruinose; occ silver pruinose, setae yellow; Antennae - scp brown, setae yellow; ped light brown, setae yellow and brown, white pruinose; pped light brown proximally, brown distad, white pruinose; apsel hyaline; Thorax: Black; sct black, sometimes with orange-red spots antero-laterally, predominantly apruinose, margins white pruinose, yellow setae scattered on surface, macrosetae: white or black, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl white pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl long, yellow; Legs - yellow to brown; fem light brown, meta fem pale yellow proximally, brown medially, clubbed, club densely covered with long, erect yellow setae; pro and meso tib light brown, yellow stripe anteriorly, meta tib in proximal half light brown, distal half brown, yellow stripe not reaching tip anteriorly; emp distinct, very short; Wings - densely covered with microtrichia, brown coloured; ptero indistinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt yellow; Abdomen: Brown; T yellow pruinose, T1 with long yellow setae, T 2 in proximal half with long yellow setae laterally; ơ terminalia Figs 28G–I, N (see also Figs 16–17 in Theodor (1976: 20)) - sur bent inwards distally; hypd with membranous area distally; d aed shea long, tip simple, pointed ( Fig. 28N ), lat apod bifurcated.

B C

D E

G H I

Type material - The lectotype of Leptogaster datis of undeterminable gender, here designated to preserve stability and make more universal the use of this name, is labelled ‘Type (circular label with green submarginal border) / One of Walker’s series so named. Edw (‘Edw’ handwritten) Leptogaster datis Walk. (handwritten on backside) / Sierra Leone (handwritten) Presented by the Rev D.F. Morgan (on backside) / HOLOTYPE Leptogaster datis Walker det. J.E. CHAINEY 1982 (handwritten) Holotype (circular label with red border, attached to the other label) / LECTOTYPE Leptogaster datis Walker, 1849 by T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in rectangular piece of plastic), is in poor condition (antennae, left meso leg, and meta legs broken; abdomen broken from the third segment on), and is deposited in the BMNH. The ơ holotype of Lasiocnemus pilipes is labelled ‘Kwamouth, Congo 1610'E 3 20'S.

V.24.1915 [24.v.1915] / Lang & Chapin Collectors / Lasiocnemus Type pilipes ơ Curran No. (red label, handwritten except for ‘Type’ and ‘No.’)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in good condition, and is deposited in the AMNH. Curran apparently mentioned additional type specimens (1^ allotype and 1^ paratype from Faradje as well as 1^ paratype from Garamba) in his description. These specimens could not be found in the AMNH collection and have not been examined.

Type locality and distribution ( Fig. 26 ): Sierra Leone , no exact locality. Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone.

Material examined: CAMEROON: 1ơ Bossoum , 9 56'N 13 41'E, 16.v.1914 ; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1ơ Fort Crampel , 659'N 19 11'E; DR CONGO: 1 ơ Eala, 004'N 18 17'E, xii.1934 ; 1 ơ Boma , 551'S 13 03'E; 1 ơ Albertville, 556'S 29 12'E, xii.1918 ; KENYA: 1ơ Gelegele River, 053'S 35 02'E, vi.1913 ; NIGERIA: 1 ơ Samaru , 1110'N 7 37'E, 21–29.vii.1970 ; 1 ơ Kateri , 942'N 7 27'E, 2.xii.1912 [genitalia slide examined]; SENEGAL: 1ơ Mpak , 1227'N 1614'W, 8.xi.1977 ; SIERRA LEONE: 1 ơ Macdonald , 816'N 1304'W, 25.xi.1993 . Depository : BMNH, ISNB, MRAC, MZLU, ZMHB, ZSMC .

Remarks: E. datis is the oldest described species of the datis species-group. The abdomen of the lectotype is apparently broken and therefore the ơ terminalia remained undescribed. Just before the end of this project I was able to investigate a single ơ specimen from Sierra Leone in which the type locality of datis is situated. The ơ terminalia of this specimen were indistinguishable from that of pilipes (of which some specimens had already been examined). Therefore, I am confident to delimit the boundaries of datis and consider the later described pilipes to be a junior synonym. Another ơ specimen from Senegal, also examined at the end of the project, supports the new synonymy by extending the distribution further west where no other species of the species-group has so far been found. Theodor (1976: 20) illustrated the ơ terminalia of this species, but labelled them artaphernes .

^^ specimens examined of representatives of the datis species-group: BENIN: 1^ Cotonou , 6 21'N 2 26'E, 29.v.1914 ; BURKINA FASO: 1^ Soumousso , 11 01'N 4 03'W, 11.x.1979 ; BURUNDI: 4^^ 2?? Rumonge , 358'S 29 26'E, 17.iv.1949 , 21+ 22.i.1950; 1^ Minago , 347'S 29 21'E, 5.iv.1949 ; 1 ^ Mutonga , 323'S 30 29'E, 1.vi.1952 ; CAMEROON: 17^^ 1? Bossoum , 956'N 13 41'E, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29.v., 1–10, 11–20.vi.1914 ; 1^ Limbe , 401'N 9 11'S, 18.iii.1984 ; 1 ^ Kribi , 255'N 9 54'E, 28–29.xi.1987 ; 1^ Campo , 2 22'N 949'E, 28–29.iii.1974 ; 1 ^ Johann-Albrechtshöhe , iii.1896 ; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1^ Fort Crampel, 6 59'N 19 11'E; 1^ Dzanga-Sangha Reserve , 2 55'N 16 15'E, 6.vii.1998 ; DR CONGO: 1^ Eala , 0 04'N 18 17'E, 1.xi.1939 ; 1^ Bukavo , 2 30'S 28 51'E, 18.xii.1952 ; 1^ Kivu area, 3 03'S 28 06'E; 3^^ Boma , 5 51'S 13 03'E; 2^^ Lulua, 5 55'S 25 46'E, xii.1932 ,. iv.1933 ; 1^ Kasal; GHANA: 1^ Akosombo , 6 18'N 0 03'E, 22–25.vi.1973 ; 1^ Achimota , 5 37'N 0 14'W, 12.x.1949 ; IVORY COAST: 1^ Yapi , 6 26'N 3 51'E, ix.1915 ; KENYA: 1^ Mt. Elgon , 1 06'N 34 34'E, 8–13.vi.1911 ; 2^^ Kuja Valley , 0 48'S 34 34'E, 30.iv.–1.v.1911 ; 1^ Masa Reserve , 1 26'S 34 55'E, 17.v.1913 ; 1? Athi , 2 15'S 38 03'E, vi.1941 ; 1^ Malindi , 3 13'S 40 07'E, v.1973 ; MALAWI: 2^^ 1? Senga Bay , 13 42'S 34 37'E, 7–8.iii.1987 ; NIGERIA: 2^^ Samaru , 11 10'N 7 37'E, 21–29.vii.1970 ; 1^ Baro , 8 36'N 6 25'E, 14–16.x.1910 ; 1? Onitsha , 6 09'N 6 46'E, vii.1910 ; 1? Lagos, 6 29'N 3 22'E, 3.xii.1956 ; 1^ Apapa , 7 12'N 4 01'E, 24.iii.1963 ; 1^ Mokwa , 9 16'N 5 02'E, 11–19.viii.1970 ; SENEGAL: 1^ Ziguinchor, 12 34'N 16 17'W, 13.viii.1979 ; SIERRA LEONE: 1^ 2?? Freetown, 8 29'N 13 14'W, 1940; 1? no additional data; TANZANIA: 1^ Ruo Valley , 10 13'S 39 34'E, 5.iii.1913 ; 1^ NW Tanganjika; TOGO: 1^ Hinterland; UGANDA: 1^ Pakelle , 3 22'N 31 51'E, 17.xi.1958 ; 2^ Ngora, 2 06'N 33 26'E, 15–16.xi.1948 ; 1^ Serere, 1 31'N 33 26'E, 15.ix.1957 ; 1^ Buwalasi , 1 11'N 34 14'E, 20–21.xi.1948 ; 1^ Nagongera , 0 46'N 34 00'E, 15.v.1958 ; 1^ Kitega , 0 42'N 30 51'E, 11.vi.1950 ; 1^ Tororo Hills , 0 42'N 34 10'E, v.1951 ; 1^ Entebbe , 0 03'N 32 27'E, 28.x.1912 ; 1^ Masaka, 0 30'S 31 45'E, 1.xii.1948 ; 1? Bugalla Island , 0 38'S 32 20'E, v.1912 ; 1^ Madi county , 2 48'S 31 15'E, v.1927 ; COUNTRY UNKNOWN: 4^^ 1? no locality data. Depository : AMNH, BMNH, CUIC, ISNB, MRAC, NMSA, USNM, ZMHB, ZMUC, ZSMC .

Distribution of ^^ of datis species-group ( Fig. 26 ): Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda.

Figures

Fig. 26. Distribution. E. artaphernes, circles; E. datis, squares; E. lata sp. n., triangles; E. milva sp. n., stars; ^^ of species-group, plus sign.

Fig. 28. ơ terminalia. A–C, K, L. Euscelidia lata sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. K. Aedeagus lateral. L. Aedeagus tip dorsal. D–F, M. E. milva sp. n. D. Dorsal. E. Ventral. F. Lateral. M. Aedeagus lateral. G–I, N. E. datis. G. Dorsal. H. Ventral. I. Lateral. N. Aedeagus lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 16. Distribution. Euscelidia anthrax, triangles; E. bequaerti, circles; E. bicolor, squares; E. bishariensis, stars; E. discors, pentagon; E. fastigium, hexagon.

Fig. 17. ơ terminalia. A–D. Euscelidia bishariensis. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. E–H. E. cacula sp. n. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Dorsal. G. Ventral. H. Lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.