Rhyncomya soyauxi Karsch, 1886

Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna, Villet, Martin H., Martinez-Sanchez, Anabel & Rojo, Santos, 2023, South African nose flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Rhiniinae): taxonomy, diversity, distribution and biology, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 72764-72764 : 72764

Rhyncomya soyauxi Karsch, 1886

= Rhyncomya soyauxi Karsch, 1886: 262. Type locality: Pongo-Andongo [Angola]. Remarks: HT in ZMHB.

= Rhyncomya pictifacies Bigot, 1888: 595. Type locality: Cape [South Africa].

= Rhynchomyia isaea Séguy, 1933: 69. Type locality: Cameroon.

= Rhynchomyia proterva Séguy, 1938: 378. Type locality: Kenya, Mt. Elgon.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda*, South Africa (Fig. 107 ), Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Notes

Preferred environment: wild environments such as Acacia veld (dry mixed bush, savannah and woodland), forests (indigenous Afromontane, broad-leafed deciduous woodland, Ficus forest, sand and red sand), grasslands (grassy floodplain, mixed, grass and Kathu), savannah, Kalahari thornveld and rural and urban environments, such as the Albany Museum grounds, camp site areas and sewage-seepage areas. In Kenya, Kenyan dry forest; in Malawi, forest edge, margins and grasslands; in Namibia, the Kwando River floodplain, Miombo and mopane woodlands and open savannah floodplain. Almost all Namibian biomes, except the Hyper-Arid Desert and Succulent Karoo Biomes ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Recorded elevations: 17-1628 m a.s.l. Seasonality: abundant species recorded year-round, with highest abundance in warmer months and lower in colder. Abundant in Namibia, peaking in February and September ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Behaviour and ecology: flower-frequenting, both sexes feed on flowers, especially Asteraceae (as Compositae ) in the savannah forest of Zimbabwe (as R. pictifacies ) ( Cuthbertson 1933). Peris (1952b) also recorded the species on flowers of wild Compositae and Cape Gooseberry in Zambia. In South Africa, some specimens were recorded to be associated with Acacia sp., Boscia sp., Acacia - Rhigozum Burch. scrub and Searsia sp. F.A.Barkley (as Rhus ). Females were observed ovipositing in rich soil at the edge of fresh cow-dung, Eastern Victoria, Zimbabwe. Additionally, R. soyauxi was caught together with Bembix albofasciata and Bembix melanopa as their prey. Life cycle and developmental stages: unknown, but Cuthbertson (1933) indicated that their eggs are similar to R. pruinosa , cream-coloured, sausage-shaped and about 1.75 mm long. Collection methods: Malaise and light traps, MV and black light trap and sweeping. In Botswana, Malaise traps; in Kenya, general sweeping, Malaise and migration traps. In Namibia, with yellow, blue and white pans, pitfall and Malaise traps, hand net, sweeping, UV-light and McPhail traps baited with Nu-Lure ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Illustrations and photographs: female habitus as in Fig. 108 . Male terminalia as in fig. 53 in Zumpt (1958).

Type material examined: R. soyauxi : 1? // Typus // Pungo-Andongo / Leg. V. Homeyer // 11013 // Rhynch . /? Soyeauxi / K.* // Rhyncomyia ? / Rhyncomya soyauxi Karsch / C = Rhyncomya pictifacies Bigot) // [ZMHB].

Material examined: Suppl. materials 1, 2.

Figures

Figure 107. Rhyncomya soyauxi occurrence map in South Africa, including eSwatini (eSw) and Lesotho (Le); horizontal axis longitude east and vertical axis latitude south.

Figure 108. Habitus, left lateral view of Rhyncomya soyauxi female ZMHB HT from Angola; scale bar = 2 mm.