Hoplistomerus pegos, Londt, 2007

Londt, Jason G. H., 2007, A review of the genus Hoplistomerus Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 167-198 : 182-183

Hoplistomerus pegos sp. n.

Figs 4 , 27–29

Hoplistomerus erythropus: Oldroyd 1940: 313–314 (fig. 5d ơ clasper); 1970: 246 (fig. 26 ơ genitalia).

Etymology: Greek pegos (strong, solid). Refers to the well-developed metathoracic femora.

Description: Based mainly on holotype. The specimen is in good condition, although the right mesothoracic leg is broken off beyond trochanter.

Head: Dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, shiny yellow setose. Antenna: Orange, dull silver-gold pruinose, scape and pedicel yellow setose, postpedicel with a few small setae anterodorsally. Proportions of segments 1.0:1.0:3.5 (i.e. scape and pedicel of equal length, postpedicel 3.5 times as long as scape). Style highly reduced to a pitenclosed spine (sensory element). Face red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, plane in profile, shiny yellow setose. Mystax covers most of face, ventral setae being longest (especially along epistomal margin). Eye and face of equal width in anterior view (face:eye width ratio 1.0:1.0). Frons and vertex similar to face, ocellar tubercle not very prominent and with a pair of ocellar macrosetae. Occiput dark red-brown, silvergold pruinose, yellow setose (a row of strong macrosetae dorsally behind eye margin). Two-segmented palpi and straight proboscis red-brown (base orange-brown medially), yellow setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown with red-brown areas, silver-gold pruinose, yellow setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown with red-brown areas (postpronotal lobe and surrounds, and postalar calli), fine gold pruinose centrally, strongly silver pruinose laterally. Postpronotal lobes extensively shiny apruinose. Macrosetae (pale yellow): acrostichals, dorsocentrals and notopleurals absent, approx. 6 supra-alars (obscured by minor setae), 3 postalars. Scutellum dark red-brown, gold pruinose, lacking marginal macrosetae, with transverse suture at midlength. Pleura dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose. Anepisternum without macrosetae on posterior margin. Anepisternum and katepisternum largely shiny apruinose. Katatergite with approx. 15 long, moderately developed setae. Prosternum red-brown, gold-silver pruinose, asetose. Legs: Brownyellow, coxae slightly darker and silver pruinose. Major setae pale yellow, minute setae white. Metatibial spur moderately developed. All femora well-developed and with weak to strongly developed ventral tubercles. Wings: 7.6× 2.9 mm (length from tip to humeral cross-vein, width at widest level). Venation as in Fig. 4 (paratype), C extending around wing margin to CuA2+A1 (i.e. anal cell and alula lacking bordering vein). Veins red-brown and orange. Membrane weakly stained and extensively microtrichose.

Abdomen: Red-brown and brown-yellow banded. Terga red-brown with broad brownyellow posterior margins, largely apruinose, with 1–4 yellow discal macrosetae (T1 has 4, others fewer), covered with fine golden yellow setulae. Sterna uniformly redbrown, apruinose, sparsely short setose. ơ genitalia as in Figs 27–29 . Female similar to male.

Holotype: 1ơ SOMALIA: Bohotle [08°15'N: 46°20'E], 1903, Appleton AF ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 2ơ 1^same data as holotype; 1ơ 1^Ado ( Vadere ) [Ada, 09°55'N: 43°47'E], 24.xi.1953, Desert Locust Survey ( BMNH) .

Notes: In general appearance the species is like erythropus , but a little larger and with metathoracic femora slightly more robust, especially in the female. The male terminalia appear most closely similar to those of caliginosus .

Distribution and biology: Known from only two localities in Somalia and collected in November (Table 1).

Figures

Figs 1–4. Hoplistomerus species: (1) H. erythropus Bezzi, 1915, entire female, lateral view; (2) H. nobilis Loew, 1858, entire female, dorsal view; (3) H. oldroydi sp. n., wing; (4) H. pelos sp. n., wing.

Figs 24–32. Hoplistomerus species, male terminalia: (24–26) H. oldroydi sp. n., Kanyamkago holotype: (24) lateral, (25) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (26) ventral; (27–29) H. pegos sp. n., Bohotle paratype: (27) lateral, (28) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (29) ventral; (30–32) H. quintillus Oldroyd, 1940, Mara R. paratype: (30) lateral, (31) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (32) ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.