Euscelidia venusta, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 115-116

Euscelidia venusta sp. n.

Figs 41, 64E –I

Etymology: Latin adjective venustus = beautiful, elegant; refers to the beautiful appearance.

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the orange-red anterior margins on the sct, few microtrichia on the wings, and features of the ơ terminalia (hypd bent upwards, d aed shea with two short lat pr aed, lat apod bifurcated).

Description: Head: Black; fc silver pruinose, fc gib indistinct, mystax white, many macrosetae; prob and plp brown-black, setae white; oc tr apruinose dorsally; occ silver pruinose, setae white; Antennae - scp brown, without setae, white pruinose; ped brown, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped light brown, white pruinose proximally and ventrally; apsel brown.

Thorax: Predominantly orange-red; ppro peg large, silver pruinose; sct orange-red, white pruinose, longitudinal stripe medially, not reaching posterior margin, and 2 lateral longitudinal stripes, originating medially not reaching posterior margin, black, black stripes and a spot anterior to lateral stripes apruinose, white setae on lateral and posterior margins; macrosetae: black, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl white pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, brown; Legs - yellow to brown; fem proximally yellow, brown distally, setae white, meta fem clubbed, club brown ventrally and dark brown dorsally; pro and meso tib brown, yellow stripe not reaching tip anteriorly, meta tib laterally brown, yellow stripes not reaching tip anteriorly and posteriorly; first tar yellow proximally, brown distad, remaining tar brown, setae black; emp minute; Wings - hyaline, brown stained, few microtrichia in distal half, veins brown; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt brown.

Abdomen: Black; T predominantly brown pruinose, anterior, lateral, and posterior margins grey pruinose, T2 with apruinose ring medially, T1 with long brown setae laterally, T 2 in proximal third with white setae laterally, remaining T with short white and yellow setae, S1 apruinose in proximal half, remaining S apruinose proximally, grey and light brown pruinose distally; ơ terminalia Figs 64E–I - sur pointed distally, lobe ventrally; hypd bent upwards, divided into 2 short lobes; lat pr aed short; lat apod bifurcated.

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘ SOUTH AFRICA: Natal False Bay Park Res. ca 27 58'S: 32 22'E Sand Forest J. Londt 23–24.iv.1988 40 m Mpophomeni Trail area / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia venusta sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of foam), is in very good condition, and is deposited in the NMSA.

3^^ 8ơơ 1? paratypes have same labels as holotype except ‘ PARATYPE Euscelidia venusta sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. All specimens are double mounted (minuten in block of foam), are in good to very good condition, and are deposited in the NMSA .

Type locality and distribution (Fig. 41): South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal , False Bay Park, ca. 2758'S 32 22'E. Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe .

Material examined: KENYA: 1^ Godoni forest, 419'S 3925'E, 19.viii.1975 ; 1 ^ Tiwi beaches, 014'S 39 36'E, 14–23.viii.1975 ; ZIMBABWE: 1 ơ Matopos National Park , 2033'S 28 30'E, 1–2.iv.1968 . Depository : USNM, ZMUC .

Remarks: This species has a very large distribution. The Kenyan material are only females, however, I am confident that these specimens belong to this species. Male specimens are necessary to verify this distribution.

Figures

Fig. 64. ơ terminalia. A–D. Euscelidia tsavo sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Aedeagus lateral. E–I. E. venusta sp. n. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Hypandrium posterior. G. Dorsal. H. Ventral. I. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.