Rhabdogaster zilla, Londt, 2006

Londt, Jason G. H., 2006, A review of the Afrotropical genus Rhabdogaster Loew, 1858 with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 47, pp. 243-313 : 289-290

Rhabdogaster zilla sp. n.

Figs 119–121

Etymology: From New Latin zilla (a genus of the mustard family). Refers to the mustardlike colour of the legs of this species.

Description: Based mainly on holotype ơ.

Head: Dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose. Antenna: Scape and pedicel orange, postpedicel and style dark red-brown, setae pale yellow. Face entirely pruinose. Mystax entirely pale yellow, occupying lower facial margin only. Frons and vertex entirely gold pruinose (including ocellar tubercle). Occiput entirely pruinose. Proboscis red-brown distally, orange-yellow proximally, palpi entirely yellow, setae pale yellow.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, silver-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose. Mesonotum extensively pruinose (including postpronotal lobes) except for pair of narrow anteromedial stripes and three tiny spots (1 immediately anterior of transverse suture, 2 postsuture). Pleura almost entirely pruinose except for tiny spots on an- and katepisternum. Scutellum entirely pruinose, with 6 poorly developed sctl s. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely silver-gold pruinose. Legs: cx brown-yellow, silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; troc, fem, tib and tar entirely mustard yellow, major fem l setae pale yellow, other parts have black and pale yellow setae. Wing 6.4 x 2.0 mm, veins brown-yellow, membrane transparent, unstained, largely microtrichose (except proximally). Discal cell entirely microtrichose, costal cell largely without microtrichia except distally.

Abdomen: Uniformly dark red-brown, silver-gold pruinose, white setose. Terminalia ( Figs 119– 121 paratype): epand in lateral view, stout, projecting beyond levels attained by outer lobe of goncx and hypd, tapering to narrowly-rounded tip; in dorsal view lobes separated, but touching proximomedially; hypd in lateral view, shorter than both epand and outer lobe of goncx, straight; in ventral view broadly-rounded proximally, tapering rapidly to broadly-bilobed tip. In lateral view external lobe of goncx and gonst projecting beyond tip of outer lobe; gonst in ventral view slightly curved.

Holotype: ơ BOTSWANA: ‘ Botswana SE 2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 1 / vi-86’.

Paratypes: BOTSWANA: 1ơ 1^‘Malaise Trap 1 / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / 16-v-1984. / Mercury vapour lamp’; 1ơ ‘Malaise Trap 1 / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / 6-v- 1984. / Mercury vapour lamp’; 3ơ 1^‘Malaise Trap 1 / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / 31-v-1984./ Mercury vapour lamp’; 1^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise Trap 1 / 25-v-1984 ’; 6ơ 2^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 1 / vi-86’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 2 / vi-86’; 2ơ 1^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 3 / vi-86’; 1^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 1 / 31-v-85’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 2 / 30- vi-85’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 3 / vii-86’; 1^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade 5 kms / SE of Serowe Hillside / N slope P Forchhammer / Malaise trap 2 / vii-86’; 4ơ ‘Malaise trap 3 / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P. Forchhammer / 20-v-1984 / A. tortilis Woodland’; 2ơ ‘Malaise trap 3 / Forestry Nursery / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P. Forchhammer / 13-v-1984 / A. tortilis Woodland’; 1ơ ‘Malaise trap 3 / Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P. Forchhammer / 8-v-1984 / A. tortilis Woodland’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P Forchhammer 13oom / A. tortilis woodland / Malaise trap 3 / 30-vii-84 / Forestry Nursery’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P Forchhammer 13oom / A. tortilis woodland / Malaise trap 3 / 11-viii-84 / Forestry Nursery’; 2^‘Botswana SE2226BD / Serowe. Farmer’s / Brigae. Malaise / trap. Forchhammer / vi.90’; 1ơ ‘Botswana SE2226BD / Farmers Brigade area / ca. 6 km SE of Serowe / Coll. P Forchhammer 13oom / A. tortilis woodland / 10-iv-84 / Forestry Nursery’; 1ơ ‘Mal. Trap / Serowe; Botswana / Forchhammer Leg. / Date 28-6/83’; 1ơ ‘Serowe / MT 1 / vii-1985 ’. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: 1ơ ‘Sth Africa Cape Prov / Roaring Sands Resort / nr. Witsand. Acacia / Woodland/sandy area / 2822CB 17- 18.3.1982 / J. Londt & L. Schoeman’; 1ơ ‘S Africa: N Cape #28 / 10 km SW of Prieska / 29 44'S: 22 42'E 1000m / Date: 18.iii.1991 / Whittington & Londt / Dry river bed, Acacia ’.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2): Recorded from Botswana and South Africa. Known mainly from Malaise-trapped material collected by Per Forchhammer at Serowe, Botswana, but also from two localities in Northern Cape, South Africa. Collected from March through to July, zilla appears to be a late-summer and winteractive species.

Similar species: R. glabra sp. n.

Figures

Figs 116–127. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (116–118) R. zebra sp. n., Capangombe holotype: (116) lateral, (117) dorsal, (118) ventral; (119–121) R. zilla sp. n., Farmer’s Brigade paratype: (119) lateral, (120) dorsal, (121) ventral; (122–124) R. zopheros sp. n., Tundavala paratype: (122) lateral, (123) dorsal, (124) ventral; (125–127) R. cinerascens (Wulp, 1899), Nr Muhail: (125) lateral, (126) dorsal, (127) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.