Stegosoma vinculatum Loew, 1863: 15 The Calliphoridae of Namibia (Diptera: Oestroidea) Kurahashi, Hiromu Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H. Zootaxa 2006 2006-09-28 1322 1 1 131 7M83 1902153 Loew, 1863: 15 Loew 15 1863 [352,647,1086,1110] Insecta Rhiniidae Stegosoma Animalia Diptera 85 86 Arthropoda genus    TYPE SPECIES: Stegasoma vinculataLoew, 1863, by monotypy.  NOTES: The three described species are restricted to the Afrotropical Region (Zumpt 1958a: 198). The only biological information recorded for the genus is for  S. vinculatumlisted below.    Stegosoma vinculatumLoew, 1863: 15.  Figs. 10, 93.    TYPE LOCALITY: South Africa.  DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in West Africa to southern Africa: Benin, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia*, Nigeria, South Africa( Cape, Natal, Transvaal), Zambiaand Zimbabwe.   MATERIAL: 1♀, Avis Dam, 27–28.ii.1974, [SMStaff], H17714; 1♀, Otjiguinas 458, 12.vii.1974, [SMStaff], H20273; 2♀, Otjikotoberg 459, 8–13.vii.1974, [SMStaff], H20167; 1♀, Good Hope 397, 22–24.v.1973, [SMStaff], H13210; 5♂, 6♀, Gautsche Pan, 9–13.vi.1971, [SMStaff], H2187; 1♀, same except: 22–23.i.1984, Irish(1), H57979; 1♂, Epukiro River, Elandslaagte, 6 kmS, 22.xi.1988, Marais; 1♀, Kaudom Game Reserve at(3): 11–30.i.1991, Marais ( PT); 1♂, Tsams Ost spring, 26–27.xi.1997, Kirk­Spriggs(1) & Marais (S); 1♀, Viljoenskroon 507, 12–18.xi.1998, Olivier(1) ( MT); 2♂, same except: 15–22.ii.1998; 2♀, Somerkoms 521, 6–8.ii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs(1), ex [damaged nest of]  Trinervitermes? rhodesiensis(Sjöstedt) ( Isoptera); 2♀, Salambala forest, 23–29.xii.2002, Kirk­Spriggs(2) ( MT); 2♀, Mile 46, 25–27.iii.2003, Kirk­Spriggs(1) ( MT); 40♀, B8 rest­stop at: 15.xii.1999, Marais, Mann & Newman, MMN3, termite nest; 6♂, Epukiro River, 3 kmN at: 9–11.ii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs(1) & Wheeler, swarming before dawn, 1 metre from ground beneath  Terminalia; 20♂, same except: 10–11.ii.2001; 22♀, same except: 9–11.ii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs(1) & Marais, termitarium of  Trinervitermes? rapulum(Sjöstedt); 1♀, Kubunyana camp: Kwando River, 28–30.x.2003, Kirk­ Spriggs(2) ( MT).  NOTES: Cuthbertson (1933: 105) describes the life history and notes that males are uncommon in Zimbabwe, occurring in flowers of a  Gymnosporiasp.(as Gymosporia[ sic]) ( Celastraceae) and other plants. He further notes that females are found in the vicinity of termite ( Isoptera) mounds, which have been cut through by the plough, and also in Aardvark burrows in mid­ October. He states that eggs are laid in the soil and detritus at the bottom of the burrows in termite nests, and larvae are very active, occurring among dead and dying worker termites. Also recorded is a swarm of flies emerging from a hole in a termite mound in December. Zumpt (1958a: 201) includes a record “… reared from nest of Trinervitermes havilandi[=  T. trinervoides(Sjöstedt, 1911)]” from Johannesburg, South Africa. New observations in Namibiaindicate that female flies appear to be exclusively attracted to damaged termite mounds of at least two species of  Trinervitermes( 40♀  Trinervitermessp.; 22♀  Trinervitermes? rapulum(Sjöstedt); 2♀,  Trinervitermes? rhodesiensis(Sjöstedt) ( Isoptera: Termitidae) ( vide supra). Males have been observed to swarm before dawn ( 26♂), approximately one metre above ground, around the periphery of a  Terminalia sericeaBurch. ex DC. (Comretaceae)tree in the Gobabis District of Namibia. The relatively large eyes of the males of this species may well reflect these nocturnal or semi­nocturnal habits. In Namibiaadults have been collected by sweeping and in pitfall and Malaise traps. Apparently restricted to the ‘arid’ and ‘mesic’ savanna biome of central, north, north­eastern and southern Namibia( Fig. 93). Recorded throughout the year, except April, August and September; most abundantly in February and December ( vide Table 2). Cuthbertson (1935: 19) briefly describes the egg, 1 stand 3 rdinstar larvae and puparium, illustrating the egg (Plate V, a), the posterior and lateral aspects of the anal compartment ( ibid, b and c), the posterior and anterior spiracles of the 3 rdinstar larva ( ibid, d and e), and the cephaloskeleton of a 1 stand 3 rdinstar larva ( ibid, g and f). [264,930,1118,1142] SPECIES 85 86 1 holotype [264,585,1310,1333] LOCALITY South Africa South Africa 85 86 1 holotype