Anypodetus leucothrix Londt, 2000

Dikow, Torsten & Dubus, Meliah, 2023, A review of the assassin-fly genus Anypodetus Hermann, 1907 with the description of a new species (Insecta, Diptera, Asilidae), African Invertebrates 64 (2), pp. 165-206 : 165

Anypodetus leucothrix Londt, 2000

Figs 30-35 , 51

Taxon depository.

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/53216348-9B29-4704-8DD6-22AB60B0B84B;

GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/1664904;

Plazi TreatmentBank: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B39D2F-F048-9D42-FF7D-FD2EDB6A4187;

iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/650536-Anypodetus-leucothrix.

Diagnosis.

The species is distinguished from congeners by the predominantly apubescent pleura and scutum, the whitish to yellowish setation on the entire body, and the hyaline wings.

Type locality.

South Africa: Western Cape: Gamka River, 40 km N Prince Albert (32°54'18"S, 021°58'40"E, -32.905, 21.97778).

Material examined.

Namibia - Erongo • 1♂ Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park , off C14; 23°34'22"S, 015°48'37"E; 922 m a.s.l.; 26 Sep. 2017; collected a.m. (9:00-noon); Dikow, Torsten leg.; sparsely vegetated sand dune, perching on sand; USNMENT01384022, USNM • 1♀ same data; USNMENT01384040, USNM • 1♂ Namib-Naukluft National Park , off C14; 23°34'25"S, 015°48'39"E; 917 m a.s.l.; 20 Nov. 2018; collected a.m. (9:00-noon); Dikow, Torsten leg.; sparsely vegetated sand dune, perching on sand; USNMENT01518038, USNM • 1♂ same data; USNMENT01518039, USNM • 1♀ Namib-Naukluft National Park , off C14; 23°34'26"S, 015°48'38"E; 912 m a.s.l.; 27 Sep. 2019; collected a.m. (9:00-noon); Dikow, Torsten, Cabrero, A. leg.; margin of partly vegetated dune, perching on sand; USNMENT01519503, USNM • 1♂ same data; USNMENT01519504, USNM .

Namibia - Karas • 1♀ Ai-Ais Fish River Canyon ; 27°55'00"S, 017°29'00"E; 07-08 Oct. 1993; Koch, F. leg.;, Paratype, MFN • 1♂ Great Karas Mountains ; 27°20'00"S, 018°45'00"E; Nov. 1936; SAM Museum Staff leg.; SAM-DIP-A008774, Paratype, SAMC .

Namibia - Khomas • 1♂ Hakos Mountains , 191 km E Walvis Bay; 23°14'43"S, 016°17'22"E; 12 Nov. 1963; Moore, A. leg.; USNMENT01140564, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140565, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140566, USNM • 1♂ same data ; USNMENT01140567, USNM • 1♂ same data ; USNMENT01140554, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140555, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140556, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140557, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140558, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140559, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140560, USNM • 1♀ same data ; USNMENT01140561, USNM • 1♂ same data ; USNMENT01140562, USNM • 1♂ same data ; USNMENT01140563, USNM.

Namibia - Otjozondjupa • 1♂ Otjiwarongo, Omarassa ; 20°08'57"S, 016°53'35"E; 25 Sep. 1954; Werner, G. leg.; AAM-010172, SMNS • 1♂ same data; AAM-010173, SMNS • 1♀ same data; AAM-010174, SMNS • 1♀ same data; AAM-010175, SMNS • 1♀ same data; AAM-010176, SMNS • 1♀ same data; AAM-010177, SMNS .

South Africa - Northern Cape • 2♀ Nieuveld Escarpment, Rietvlei ; 32°20'00"S, 021°30'00"E; Feb. 1925; SAM Museum Staff leg.; SAM-DIP-A008773, Paratype, SAMC .

South Africa - Western Cape • 1♂ Gamka River , 40 km N Prince Albert; 32°54'18"S, 021°58'40"E; 500 m a.s.l.; 11 Nov. 1986; Londt, Jason, Quickelberge, C. leg.; sandy areas / acacias; NAMS-DIP-09022, Holotype, NMSA • 1♀ Laingsburg, 70 km E, dry Dwyka River area ; 33°06'00"S, 021°35'00"E; 500 m a.s.l.; 24 Nov. 1990; Whittington, A., Londt, Jason leg.; NMSA-DIP-009011, Paratype, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-082948, Paratype, NMSA .

Distribution, biodiversity hotspots, seasonal imago flight activity, and biology.

Known only from south-western South Africa and Namibia (Fig. 51 ). A rarely observed and collected species known from 33 specimens from 10 collecting events between 1925-2019 and a single observation at iNaturalist (Table 2 ). The species is not known to occur in any currently recognized biodiversity hotspot. Adult flies are active in spring (September-November) and late summer (February) (Table 3 ). Specimens collected by the senior author have been recorded on or near vegetated dunes perching on sand.

Remarks.

The collection of this species by the senior author in the Namib Desert initiated interest in reviewing this genus. At first, the specimens collected could not be readily identified using the key in Londt (2000). In that key, A. leucothrix is keyed primarily through the wing venation being similar to A. fascipennis in which the proximal portion of vein M2 and the distal portion of vein M3 are not aligned (see Figs 25 , 29 ). The collected specimens, however, showed a complete (or near complete) alignment of M2 and M3 (Figs 31 , 35 ). Because of the considerable distance of the Namib Desert locality to the localities of the two paratypes in southern Namibia and the type locality in south-western South Africa (Fig. 51 ), it was postulated that the collected specimens represent a species new to science. Only a detailed study of the male terminalia comparing them to the illustrations by Londt (2000) and photographs of the holotype in the NMSA supported the conclusion that the Namibian specimens belong to A. leucothrix . Additional specimens collected in 1954 (in SMNS) and 1963 (in USNM) further north in Namibia added to the understanding that there is wing venation variation within A. leucothrix .

Londt (2000) stated that this species is somewhat different from all other Anypodetus species in that the thorax is primarily apubescent (all other known species have a pubescent thorax) and the scutellum has long apical scutellar setae (apical scutellar setae absent in other species). In contrast, the basic morphology of the male terminalia is identical to all other known species of Anypodetus (see figures in Londt 2000). Furthermore, the lack of pulvilli, the absence of a macroseta on the supero-posterior anepisternum, and the sexual dimorphism in the mystax coloration and development are features shared among all Anypodetus species recognized here including A. leucothrix .

Figures

Figure 51. Map of southern Africa with elevational relief and biodiversity hotspots (sensu Conservation International in gray) and distribution of A. arachnoides, A. leucothrix, A. londti sp. nov., and A. unicolor (SimpleMappr https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20266). Distribution and occurrence data available in Google Earth KML file https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20266. kml.

Figures 30 - 35. A. leucothrix 30 ♀ (USNMENT 01384040), lateral 31 same, dorsal 32 same, head anterior 33 ♂ (USNMENT 01519504), head anterior 34 same, lateral 35 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.

Figures 24 - 29. A. fascipennis 24 ♀ (USNMENT 01115204), lateral 25 same, dorsal 26 same, head anterior 27 ♂ (USNMENT 01115113), head anterior 28 same, lateral 29 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.