Euscelidia Westwood, 1850

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 10-14

Genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850

Euscelidia Westwood, 1850: 232 . Type species: Euscelidia rapax Westwood, 1850 , by monotypy.

Dolichoscius Janssens, 1953: 2 . syn. n. Type species: Dolichoscius francoisi Janssens, 1953 , by monotypy. Generic diagnosis: Euscelidia is distinguished from other genera of Leptogastrinae by the presence of the postpronotal peg (ppro peg; Fig. 4 ). Additional features are the dense pile of anteriorly directing setae on the anepisternum, the consistently open wing cells, gonocoxites and epandrium fused to hypandrium, and enlarged hypandrium.

Generic redescription: Head: Fc pruinose, fc gib generally indistinct ( Fig. 3 ), sometimes distinct (lower facial margin protruding); mystax consisting of few macrosetae (4–12) arranged in 1 row or many macrosetae (usually more than 20) arranged in a number of rows dorsally on lower facial margin; oc tr apruinose or pruinose dorsally; Antennae Figs 9A, B - scp short; ped longer than scp; pped cylindrical, generally longer than scp and ped combined, sometimes as short as scp and ped combined; style with two elements (narrow, cylindrical, long proximal segment and apsel), apsel hyaline or brown.

Thorax: Ppro peg small to large, pruinose; sct entirely covered with pruinosity, median stripes and/or lateral spots apruinose, or predominantly apruinose (pruinosity restricted to anterior, lateral, and posterior margins), often setae scattered on surface; macrosetae: 1 npl s, 1 spal s, and sometimes 1 pal s; anepst and anepm covered with dense pruinosity, long, only seldom short, setae directing anteriorly on anepst and kepst, posterior half of kepst and entire kepm more sparsely pruinose; posterior sct with short, erect setae; sctl with short or long ds sctl s and sctl s; Legs - fem pale yellow proximally, with small, circular, dark brown spot apically, meta fem distally clubbed; tib often with anterior pale yellow stripe not reaching tip; first tar yellow proximally, brown distad, remaining tar brown, black setae; clw black, long, pointed; emp minute (indistinct) ( Fig. 9E ), very short but distinct ( Fig. 9F ), or long (from a fifth to nearly the length of a clw) ( Fig. 9C ),

C. Lateral. D. Dorsal. Scale lines = 100 m.

pointed; Wings Figs 8A–C - few microtrichia or densely covered with microtrichia, hyaline with or without microtrichia (microtrichia evenly scattered on remigium, but wings still hyaline) or opaque (wings brown coloured), veins generally brown, sometimes anterior veins pale yellow in proximal half or entirely pale yellow; ptero indistinct or distinct, light brown to brown; all marginal cells open, cell d terminating in 2 ( Fig. 8C ) or 3 ( Figs 8A, B ) veins, cell a 2 generally broad, sometimes narrow; hlt yellow or brown. Abdomen: T generally entirely pruinose, but sometimes with apruinose spot proximally, sometimes ^ T8 apruinose, T1 generally with long setae laterally, T2 generally in proximal third to half with setae laterally, remaining T with short setae; S pruinose, S2 generally apruinose medially.

ơ terminalia: (labelled illustrations in Figs 18 , 31 , 32 , 43 ) Sur with either pointed distal tip ( Figs 7A–F ) or ending blunt (e.g. Fig. 57C ), lobes dorsally and ventrally present or absent ( Figs 31C , 43C ), sometimes distal tip sharply bent inwards ( Fig. 28G ); hypd enlarged, ventral margin straight ( Fig. 43C ) or distally bent upwards ( Fig. 31C ) and then with ( Fig. 31B ) or without separated lobes (in posterior view) ( Figs 11F , 13F ); gonst small to large, often lat pr gonst ( Fig. 31C ) closely related to gonst present (not always determinable); Aedeagus - aed generally only seen in dorsal view as a block between the aed apod and d aed shea ( Fig. 32B ); d aed shea short, terminating blunt ( Figs 5E, F , 32A, B ), or medium (not extending hypopygium) ( Figs 4A, C, E , 43D ) to long (extending hypopygium) and tubular ( Figs 28K–N ), or forming an open extension without covering ductus ejaculatorius and extending beyond gonp (sheath-like) ( Figs 18A, B ), lat pr aed sometimes present, short ( Figs 5E , 6B , 18A ) or long ( Figs 5A , 6D , 21E, G ), extending gonp; v aed shea generally composed of 2 sclerites, originating from d aed shea, and fused dorsally, articulation with muscles laterally and on tip, sometimes expanded plate-like ( Figs 4C, F ); lat apod simple, cylindrical, proximally bifurcated ( Fig. 58I ), or triangular ( Fig. 24F ); aed apod rounded, varying diameter ( Figs 18A , 32A , 43D ).

^ terminalia: (note: comparative studies of all species were not carried out) Unspecialised ovipositor; S9 with macrosetae distally; segment 9 generally hidden under T8 ( Figs 58 D-F) (see also illustration of spermathecae in Theodor 1976: 22 ( Fig. 22 )). Distribution Fig. 1 : Species of Euscelidia are found throughout the Afrotropical Region, in the Palaearctic Region in Egypt, from Greece to Turkmenistan and in China, and in the Oriental Region from India to the Philippines.

Descriptions and redescriptions of species

Note: Species are arranged alphabetically except for representatives of the brunnea and datis species-groups, which are arranged under the respective group.

Figures

Fig. 4. Aedeagi. A, B, D. Euscelidia pallasii. A. Lateral. B. Dorsal. D. Anterior. C, F. E. pulchra sp. n. C. Lateral. F. Dorsal. E, G. E. splendida sp. n. E. Lateral. G. Dorsal. Scale lines = 100 m.

Fig. 3. Euscelidia senegalensis sp. n. Lateral aspect of head and thorax (not all setae illustrated). Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 9. Antenna lateral. A. Euscelidia abbreviata sp. n. B. E. venusta sp. n. Claw and empodium. C, D. E. abbreviata sp. n. C. Dorsal. D. Lateral. E. E. venusta sp. n. Dorsal. F. E. lata sp. n. Lateral. Arrows point at empodium. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Wings. A. Euscelidia longibifida sp. n. B. E. pulchra sp. n. C. E. lata sp. n. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 18. Aedeagus of Euscelidia ochricornis. A. Lateral. B. Dorsal. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 31. ơ terminalia of Euscelidia erichthenii sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Posterior. C. Lateral. D. Ventral. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 32. Aedeagus of Euscelidia erichthenii sp. n. A. Lateral. B. Dorsal. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 43. ơ terminalia of Euscelidia livida sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Surstyli lateral. A. Euscelidia pallasii. B. E. natalensis sp. n. C. E. bequaerti. D. E. acuminata sp. n. E. E. splendida sp. n. F. E. longibifida sp. n. Scale lines = 100 m.

Fig. 57. ơ terminalia. A–D. Euscelidia procula. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. E– H. E. prolata sp. n. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Dorsal. G. Ventral. H. Lateral. Scale line = 1 mm.

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. 11. ơ terminalia. A–E. Euscelidia peteraxi sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Hypandrium posterior. E. Aedeagus lateral. F–K. E. acuminata sp. n. F. Hypandrium posterior. G. Aedeagus lateral. H. Dorsal. I. Ventral. K. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. ơ terminalia. A–E. Euscelidia bechuana sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Hypandrium posterior. E. Aedeagus lateral. F–K. E. bequaerti. F. Hypandrium posterior. G. Aedeagus lateral. H. Dorsal. I. Ventral. K. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Aedeagi. A, B, C. Euscelidia natalensis sp. n. A. Lateral. B. Ventral. C. Dorsal. D, E, F. E. bequaerti. D. Anterior. E. Lateral. F. Dorsal. Scale lines = 100 m.

Fig. 6. Aedeagi. A, B. Euscelidia acuminata sp. n. A. Lateral. B. Dorsal. C, D. E. longibifida sp. n.

Fig. 21. ơ terminalia. A–E. Euscelidia natalensis sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Hypandrium posterior. E. Aedeagus lateral. F–I. Aegeagi lateral. F. E. brunnea. G. E. cana sp. n. H. E. capensis sp. n. I. E. vallis sp. n. Scale line = 1 mm.

Fig. 58. ^ and ơ terminalia. A–G. Euscelidia pulchra sp. n. A. ơ dorsal. B. ơ ventral. C. ơ lateral. D.^ dorsal. E. ^ ventral. F. ^ lateral. G. Aedeagus lateral. H–M. E. senegalensis sp. n. H. Aedeagus lateral. I. Lateral apodeme posterior. K. Dorsal. L. Ventral. M. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

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. 22. Distribution. Euscelidia cana sp. n., pentagon; E. natalensis sp. n., circles; E. notialis sp. n., squares; E. vallis sp. n., triangles; E. zumpti, star.

Fig. 1. Distribution of Euscelidia.