Melouromyia natalensis (Ricardo, 1919)

Londt, Jason G. H., 2020, A survey of grassland Asilidae (Diptera) at Jacana Eco Estate, Hilton, South Africa, African Invertebrates 61 (1), pp. 29-48 : 29

6. Melouromyia natalensis (Ricardo, 1919)

Remarks.

This widely-distributed and fairly commonly encountered Southern African species was reviewed by Londt (2002a). It has been recorded from KwaZulu-Natal, as well as provinces to the north, including Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northwest Province and Limpopo. There are also records from Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The species has been recorded from Pietermaritzburg and so there was no surprise encountering it at Jacana Eco-estate.

A single adult female of this species was collected in week seven of the survey.

Londt (2002a) reports the species as normally being associated with woodland habitats and has been collected in suburban gardens in Pietermaritzburg. Its occurrence in the Jacana Eco-estate’s grassland is viewed as fortuitous.