Hoplistomerus caliginosus Wulp, 1899

Londt, Jason G. H., 2007, A review of the genus Hoplistomerus Macquart, 1838 (Diptera: Asilidae: Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 167-198 : 171

Hoplistomerus caliginosus Wulp, 1899

Figs 5–7

Hoplistomera caliginosa: Wulp 1899: 90 .

Hoplistomerus caliginosa: Hull 1962: 96 .

Hoplistomerus caliginosus: Oldroyd 1940: 314–315 (fig. 5c ơ clasper); 1980: 350 (catalogue).

Diagnosis: Size: Moderate (wing length from humeral cross-vein to tip 8–11 mm). Head: Eye wider than face (in anterior view measured at level of greatest head width). Relative proportions of antennal segments (scape, pedicel and postpedicel) 1.0:0.7:? (i.e. scape somewhat longer than pedicel; postpedicel missing). Thorax: Presutural macroseta(e) absent. Anepisternal macroseta absent. Prosternal ventromedial setation short to absent. Male metatibial spur small. Scutellum with a transverse groove at midlength. Wing cell m 3 with microtrichia covering posterodistal half. Prothoracic coxa and prosternum both dark red-brown. Abdomen: T3 setulae entirely white (no golden setae evident). ơ genitalia as in Figs 5–7 .

Type specimens studied: YEMEN: 1ơ lectotype, ‘Type. / v.d. Wulp, / Trans. Ent. Soc., / 1899, page 90, / pl. iii, fig. 2.’ [white with red border], ‘S.W. Arabia, / 15 miles N.W. of / Aden [12°50'N: 45°00'E], Lahej [Lahij, 13°03'N: 44°53'E] / Capt. Mar. 28.95 / & pres. 1899 by / J. W. Yerbury.’, ‘1899 / 7712’, ‘ Hoplistomera / caliginosa n.s.’, ‘Type Dip: 213 2/2 / Hoplistomera / caliginosa / v.d. Wulp / Hope Dept. Oxford’ (OXUM); 1ơ paralectotype, ‘Type. / v.d. Wulp, / Trans. Ent. Soc., / 1899, page 90, / pl. iii, fig. 2.’ [white with red border], ‘S.W. Arabia, / 19m. fr. Aden. / Haithalhim. [?] / Capt. Mar. 26.95 / & pres. 1899 by / J. W. Yerbury.’, ‘1899 / 7711’, ‘Type Dip: 2131/ 2 / Hoplistomera / caliginosa / v.d. Wulp / Hope Dept. Oxford’ (OXUM).

Notes: Wulp (1899) stated that his specimens were female, but Oldroyd (1940) reported that they were in fact males, a fact I can confirm.A holotype has never been designated and so Wulp’s specimens are considered syntypes. I here designate the ơ from ‘Lahej’ as lectotype, the other specimen being a paralectotype. Lahej [? Lahij] is therefore the type locality. While Oldroyd (1940) reports the presence of another male from Lahej in the BMNH, no other material is known.

Distribution and biology: Known only from Yemen. Both types were collected at the end of March (Table 1) more than a century ago.

Figures

Figs 5–13. Hoplistomerus species, male terminalia: (5–7) H. caliginosus Wulp, 1899, Haithalhim paralectotype: (5) lateral, (6) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (7) ventral; (8–10) H. engeli Oldroyd, 1940, Bohotle paratype: (8) lateral, (9) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (10) ventral; (11–13) H. erythropus Bezzi, 1915, Baidoa ơ: (11) lateral, (12) distal end of gonocoxite and gonostylus, (13) ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.