Euscelidia splendida, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 109-110

Euscelidia splendida sp. n.

Figs 4E, G , 7E , 36 , 62

Etymology: Latin adjective splendidus = bright, shining; refers to the apruinose, shiny scutum.

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the predominantly apruinose sct, the densely arranged microtrichia on the wings, and features of the ơ terminalia (d aed shea dorso-ventrally flattened, medium length).

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

Thorax: Black; ppro peg small, distinct, silver pruinose; sct bluish-black, predominantly apruinose, margins silver pruinose, white and yellowish setae scattered on margins, few short white setae scattered on apruinose part; macrosetae:

white or black, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl silver pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, brown; Legs - yellow to brown; pro fem yellow, meso fem yellow proximally, remaining part brown, meta fem in proximal half pale yellow, clubbed, club in proximal 2/3 brown, distal third 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 fifth of length of clw; Wings - densely covered with microtrichia, but wing only slightly brown; ptero distinct, brown; cell d terminating in 2 veins; hlt yellow.

Abdomen: Black; T predominantly brown pruinose, anterior, lateral, and posterior margins grey pruinose, T2 with grey pruinose ring medially, T1 with long yellow setae laterally, T 2 in proximal half with few white setae laterally, remaining T with white and yellow setae, S grey pruinose; ơ terminalia Fig. 62 - sur pointed distally, lobe ventrally; hypd ventral margin straight; d aed shea dorso-ventrally flattened, medium length, gonp on distal tip; lat apod simple.

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 splendida sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted, is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the ZMUC.

10^^ 8ơơ paratypes have same labels as holotype except ‘ PARATYPE Euscelidia splendida sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimens are directly mounted (1^ is double mounted with minuten in block of foam), are in good to excellent condition (the double mounted ^ is in poor condition), and are deposited in the ZMUC .

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

A B C

D E F

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

Fig. 62. ơ terminalia of Euscelidia splendida sp. n. A. Dorsal. B. Ventral. C. Lateral. D. Hypandrium posterior. E. Aedeagus lateral. F. Aedeagus dorsal. Scale line = 1 mm.