Exoprosopa grisescens Bezzi, 1924

Greathead, David J. & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2004, New species of Bombylioidea in Mario Bezzi’s Unpublished Hungarian Museum Manuscript, Zootaxa 773, pp. 1-56 : 36

Exoprosopa grisescens Bezzi, 1924

88. Exoprosopa (Exoprosopa) grisescens 1Ψ Ethiopia: Jerer Shet’, vi.1911 (Kovács). MS page [88].

Bezzi, 1924: 280 – key only.

Evenhuis & Greathead, 1999: 362 – location of type material unknown. Types: The holotype in HNHM was destroyed in 1956 and no others are known.

Remarks: No specimens are known. Bezzi’s manuscript diagnosis stated that it differs from E. rufina in having the vein at the end of the discal cell [m­m] straight and the wing infuscation pale grey. These characters are used in his key (Bezzi, 1924) to separate the two species.

Description. The manuscript description is difficult to read but is approximately as follows:

“Length of body, 11.5 mm; of wing, 12.5 mm.

Occiput black, postvertical furrow broad, and … of the eyes white dilated below, frons black and with black hair, anterior part covered with yellowish scales, at vertex three times width of ocellar tubercle, facial cone produced but little prominent, … greyish, covered in whitish scales, hair below pale yellowish, black tuft at apex of the mouth opening, peristoma pale yellowish­brownish. Antennae short all black, first segment black haired, third … conical = 1+2, style thin of equal length testaceous; palpi blackish, …. …., proboscis black … prominent. Thorax black, dorsum black haired and sides with testaceous hair, collar and sides pale yellow, macrochaetae black, pleura grey completely covered with pale yellowish hair. Squama whitish dark and ochreous fringed, plumula white, halteres pale yellow. Scutellum obscure reddish base black, yellow tomentum and black hairs. Abdomen broad, obtuse, black, lateral margins of second and third segments narrowly reddish, lateral hair right up to third segment white, thereafter black, on dorsum black scaled, second segment at sides … white scaled, third with a complete basal band of white scales; 6 and 7 white scaled; bristles to sides of 7 shining, venter pale yellow, white scaled and haired. Legs all black, scales on femora blackish, front [femora] little different[?], front tibia and tarsi with transparent hairs[?], front coxa yellow black haired, middle [femora with] 2–3 [bristles] and posterior 7–8, claws black, bases narrow yellowish, basal tooth … acute. Wings hyaline, base colour pellucid grey infumate, ends truncate in marginal before transverse marginal vein, base[?] submarginal cell 1, first posterior, discal and scarcely posterior 4 occupied, 2/3 anal and base of axillary. Hook black, comb black base grey haired, veins blackish, second fully sinuous[?] at end, transverse marginal vein long and sinuous; 1 posterior cell scarcely narrower at apex, second short, 3 narrower at end, … base of 4 scarcely shorter. Third vein scarcely before middle of discal cell apex not wider than base, end straight [i.e., crossvein m­m not sinuous]. Axillary lobe broad but long, alula infumate, fringe dark.”