Rhabdogaster lindneri, 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 : 263-264

Rhabdogaster lindneri sp. n.

Figs 49–51

Etymology: Named after the late Erwin Lindner who made a significant contribution towards understanding East African Asilidae .

Description: Based on holotype ơ.

Head: Black, silver pruinose, pale yellow-white setose.Antenna black, setae pale yellowwhite. Face entirely pruinose (weakly so centrally). Mystax entirely pale yellow-white, occupying approx. lower half of face. Frons mostly apruinose (silver pruinose ventrally); vertex entirely apruinose (including ocellar tubercle). Occiput entirely pruinose. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, setae pale yellow-white.

Thorax: Orange-brown and dark red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown with orange-brown lateral and posterior margins, largely apruinose except for lateral and posterior margins. Pleura mostly pruinose except for parts of anepisternum, katepisternum and metepisternum. Scutellum extensively apruinose except for anterior margin, with 10 fine pale yellow-white sctl s. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely silver pruinose. Legs: cx orange-brown, silver pruinose, white setose; troc orange-brown; fem mostly dark red-brown with orange posterior surfaces, white setose (1 or 2 black setae ventrally); tib similar to fem, predominantly white setose (few black setae ventrodistally); tar dark red-brown, partly white (small setae) and black (big setae) setose. Wing 5.9 x 2.3 mm, veins light brown, membrane transparent, slightly yellowbrown stained, entirely microtrichose. Discal and costal cells entirely microtrichose.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown with orange lateral margins, gold and silver pruinose, black and white setose. Tergites extensively apruinose except for narrow lateral margins, setae small black on apruinose parts, white on pruinose parts. Sternites brown-orange, entirely pruinose, moderately long white setose. Terminalia ( Figs 49–51 ): epand in lateral view long, extending well beyond level achieved by external lobe of goncx and hypd, tapering in slightly undulating fashion to rounded tips; in dorsal view lobes narrowly separated proximomedially; hypd in lateral view curved, about as long as external lobe of goncx, with fairly broad upturned distal end with well developed dorsodistal lobe; in ventral view broadly-rounded proximally, tapering rapidly distally before terminating in broadlyrounded distal lobe. External lobe of goncx slightly curved upwards distally before tapering quickly to rounded apex; internal lobe of goncx and details of gonst largely hidden from view.

Variation: Females somewhat variable and may have central apruinose facial spots, a more extensively pruinose frons, an almost entirely black thorax and abdomen, a fully pruinose metepisternum, more extensively pruinose tergites. Females generally larger (max. wing length 7.0 mm) than males.

Holotype: ơ KENYA: ‘Kenya / 40 km NW / Nairobi [0117S:3650E] / 31.viii.83 / 31.viii.83 / A. Freidberg’ . Paratypes: IVORY COAST: 1^‘ Côte D’Ivoire : 10 km / NW Toumodi ca 500m / 20.iv.1989 JGH Londt / 06 ° 35'N: 05 ° 06'W / Open grass area with / dense patches of bush’ ; KENYA: 1^‘ Kenya: Lorogi Pla- / teau, 6 mi. S. of / Kisima. [0007N:3724E] 6200ft. / 15-xii-1969 M.E. / Irwin & E.S. Ross’ ( CASC) ; 1^‘ Kenya: Nairobi #58 / Karura State Forest / 01 ° 15'S: 36 ° 53'E 1000m / Weiwei River 22.xi.1992 / J Londt & A Whittington / Eroded banks & thicket’; 1ơ ‘ Dr van Someren / Nairobi / March 1928 ’, ‘ Kenya Colony’ ( BMNH) ; 1^‘ Kenya: Karen. [0120S:3642E] / Alt. 5800ft. / 21-xii-1969 / M.E. Irwin & / E.S. Ross’ ( CASC) ; 1^‘ Kenya: West Pokot #68 / 5 km East of Sigor / 01º28'N: 35º30'E 1700m / 19.xi.1992 5 km NE city / J Londt & A Whittington / Indigenous forest /edges’; 1^‘ Kenya Rt.A 109 / Athi River [0126S:3702E] / 30.iv.1991 / A. Freidberg / & Fini Kaplan’; 1^‘ Emali Range / Sultan Hamud [0204S:3728E] / 4900-5900 ft. 3-40’ ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: 1ơ ‘ Uganda / Entebbe [0003N:3227E] / 1954 / G.S. Corbet’ ( BMNH) .

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2):A widely distributed species recorded from Ivory Coast, Kenya and Uganda. Collected north and south of the equator in March, April, August, November and December.

Similar species: R. major , oresbios sp. n. and xanthokelis sp. n.

Figures

Figs 43–54. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (43–45) R. karoo sp. n., Graaff-Reinet paratype: (43) lateral, (44) dorsal, (45) ventral; (46–48) R. kosmos sp. n., Omaruru paratype: (46) lateral, (47) dorsal, (48) ventral; (49–51) R. lindneri sp. n., Nairobi holotype: (49) lateral, (50) dorsal, (51) ventral. (52–54) R. maculipennis Engel, 1929, Sawmills lectotype: (52) lateral, (53) dorsal, (54) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.