Synolcus aurulentus : Engel 1929: 156–157 Hull 1962: 426 Oldroyd 1974: 165 Synolcus aurulentus rufus Hull, 1967: 260–261 The genus Synolcus Loew, 1858, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae) Londt, Jason G. H. African Invertebrates 2012 2012-12-12 53 2 661 661 Engel, 1929 : Engel 1929 [477,846,424,450] Insecta Asilidae Synolcus Animalia Diptera 15 676 Arthropoda species aurulentus   Figs 6, 35–38, 79, 89     Synolcus aurulentus: Engel 1929: 156–157, fig. 4 ( ♂gen.);  Hull 1962: 426;  Oldroyd 1974: 165; Londt 1980: 27–30, figs 3 (wing), 12–14 ( ♂gen.), 15 ( ♀gen.); 1990: 2, 10.   Synolcus aurulentus rufusHull, 1967: 260–261; Oldroyd 1980: 346 (catalogue).  Redescription:  Male.  Head: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly silver-gold pruinose, black, pale yellow and white setose. Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine gold pruinose, scape and pedicel black setose, postpedicel with few yellow setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n= 5) 1:0.7:1.3:1.1 (0.2:0.8:0.1), i.e. pedicel shorter than scape, postpedicel a little longer than scape, stylus almost as long as postpedicel. Face: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose. Mystax mostly black with a variable number of yellow setae ventromedially. Frons and vertex: Blackish, strongly red-gold pruinose, frons black setose laterally, ocellar tubercle black setose. Occiput: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, black (dorsally), yellow (centrally) and white (ventrally) setose.  Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver and red-gold pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Prothorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose. Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose with broad blackish median band and lateral patches, macrosetae uniformly black, minor setae short blackish pale yellow. Macrosetae: acrpoorly developed posterior of transverse suture, dcmoderately developed posteriorly, extending well anterior of transverse suture, 2 npl, 2 spal(usually 1 strong, 1 weak), 1–2 pal(1 strong, 1 weak or absent). Scutellum: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly red-gold pruinose, disc black and pale yellow setose, 1 pair black apical macrosetae (rarely with 3 macrosetae and rarely yellow in colour). Pleura: Uniform dark red-brown to black, silver to red-gold pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose, c. 8 yellow and blackish ktg. Legs: Cxdark red-brown to black, red-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose; cx3 with 1 lateral macroseta (+ weaker setae). Trodark red-brown, largely apruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Femdark red-brown to black, distal tips brown-orange, major setae mostly pale yellow (some black), minor setae long or short pale yellow. Tibproximally brown-orange, distally dark red-brown, major and minor setae black and pale yellow. Tardark red-brown, major and minor setae mostly black (may be a few yellowish major setae). Wing ( Fig. 6): Veins mostly dark red-brown, orange-brown proximally, membrane largely transparent, but pale brownish in appearance due to dark microtrichiae, wing tip may be weakly brown stained. Cell sclacking sc–r. Cells r1 and r2+3 considerably expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth (mean, n =5) 10.2 (9.6–10.5) × 4.5 (4.1–4.7) mm. Haltere: Pale brown-yellow.  Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, silver-gold, red-gold and blackish pruinose, mostly pale yellow setose.T1 fairly uniformly silver-gold pruinose, c. 4 pale yellow macrosetae laterally accompanied by many pale yellow setae, a few black minor setae medially. T2–8 mostly red-gold pruinose but darker blackish pruinose anteromedially, setae pale yellow laterally and posterolaterally (including 1–3 macrosetae). S as T but uniformly silver-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose.  Figs 35–38.  Synolcus aurulentusEngel, 1929, male genitalia (Knysna Forest): (35) lateral (showing aedeagus tip), (36) dorsal, (37) ventral, (38) gonostylus tip. Scale line 1 mm. Terminalia ( Figs 35–38): Epandsubtriangular in lateral view ( Fig. 35) about twice as long as deep, with fairly acutely pointed distal tip and broadly rounded, ventrally directed lobe at about midlength; epandlobes in dorsal view separated proximally ( Fig. 36). S8 fairly narrow, somewhat ventrally directed distally, with weakly developed medial projection ( hypdand goncxnot obscured from view). Gonstas in Fig. 38. Aedfairly straight with downturned tip ( Fig. 35).  Female: Essentially similar to male. Wing length × breadth (mean, n=5) 9.9 (8.2–11.5)× 3.4 (2.8–3.9) mm. Wing not expanded as in male. Terminalia ( Fig. 79): Ovipositor laterally compressed, knife-like, moderately elongate (a little more than twice as long as deep). Type material examined:  SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ lectotype‘  25.i.1922/ Cape Colony/ Dr. Brauns/ Knysna/ forest [ 34°00'S 23°00'E]’;  1♀ paralectotype‘ Knysna Cape/ Dr. Brauns/ Colony/  i.1922’. Other material examined:  SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂  10 kmSW Middelburg[ 31°30'25"S 25°01'03"E],  11.xii. 1960, Brown( SANC);  5♂ 2♀ Outeniqua State Forestnear Knysna, 3323CC,  23.i.1984, Barraclough, forest & forest margins;  1♀ Alexandria Forest Reserve, 3326DA,  28.xii.1985, Londt, forest & forest margins;  1♂ 1♀ Franskraal,  5 kmESE Gansbaai, 3419CB,  7–9.i.1983, Miller, Malaise trap, dunes;  8♀ Diepwalle, Knysna Forest, 3423AA,  9.xii.1979, Londt& Stuckenberg, deep forest & margin;  3♂ 5♀ Tsitsikamma forestnear Storms River, 3423BB,  7.xii.1979, Londt& Stuckenberg, forest & forest margins;  2♂ Cape Recife Reserve, Port Elizabeth, 3425BA,  22–27.xii.1985, Londt;  1♀ Somerset East[ 32°43'S 25°35'E],  10–22. xii.1930, Turner( BMNH);  2♂ Spitzkop, Meirings Poort[ 33°03'S 20°35'E],  i.1935, Mus. Staff( SAMC);  1♂ 1♀ Seweweekspoort[ 33°22'S 21°25'E],  4–6.xii.1968, Potgieter& Jones; 1? Seven Weeks Poort[ 33°22'S 21°25'E],  ii.1932, Barnard( SAMC);  1♀ Hex River[ 33°29'S 19°35'E],  xii.1884( SAMC);  1♂ 1♀ Loerie[ 33°52'S 25°01'E],  i.1960, SAM ( SAMC);  1♂ 1♀ Diepwalle Forest, 33°57'S 23°10'E,  400 m,  13.i.1983, Miller;  1♀ George[ 33°58'S 22°27'E],  26.xii.1996, Picker, forest;  1♂ 1♀ Storms River[ 33°58'S 23°53'E],  31.xii.1953( BMNH);  1♀ Port Elizabeth[ 33°58'S 25°35'E],  1.xii.1961, Taylor;  1♀ Witels Forest, 33°59'S 24°07'E,  13–18.xii.1977, Jacobs;  4♂ Diepwalle, Knysna area, 34°00'S 23°00'E,  26.xii.1988, Londt, forest & forest margins;  1♂ Tsitsikamma[Coastal National Park, 34°01'S 23°55'E], Musprah( BMNH);  1♂ Knysna[ 34°02'S 23°02'E],  xii.1952, Heyes;  1♀ Knysna, 19.xii.[19]53 ( BMNH);  3♂ Coldstream, Humansdorp[ 34°02'S 24°46'E],  i.1921, Tucker( SAMC);  1♂ Robberg, Plettenberg Bay area, 34°03'S 23°22'E,  8.xii.1988, Londt, on tall shrubs in Nat. Res.;  1♀ Bontebok National Park, Swellendam, 34°04'S 20°28'E,  2–3.i.1993, Koch( ZMHB);  1♂ Noetzienear Knysna, 34°04'S 23°08'E,  30 m,  17.xii.1995, Cradock;  1♂ 1♀ Goukamma Nat.Res., Easternsection near Buffelsbaai, 34°05'S 22°57'E,  29.xii.1994–  15.i.1995, van Noort, dune fynbos, Malaise trap( SAMC).  Other recorded material not studied: Hull (1967) lists for his subspecies rufus– ♂ Holotype, ♀ allotype, 1♂ 2♀ paratypes, Tsitsikamma Forest, Storms River,  11–13.i.1951, loc. No. 134; 1♂ 1♀, same place, Stormsrivierpiek, loc. No. 137; 1♀, Assegaaibos, 30 miwest north west of Humansdorp,  1.3.1951, loc. No. 192 (Brinck and Rudebeck). Distribution, phenology and biology: Restricted to the southern tip of South Africa, mostly southwards of the 33°Slatitude ( Fig. 89), being recorded for the Western Capeand Eastern Capeprovinces. Adults fly from December through to February (Table 1). Label data and personal experience indicate that the flies rest on vegetation and appear to be associated with forests, forest margins or thick undergrowth. 1922-01-25 Colony & Dr. Brauns & Knysna South Africa -34.0 Cape 1202 23.0 16 677 1 1 Western Cape lectotype [397,962,1328,1350] 1922-01 Knysna & Dr. Brauns & Colony South Africa Cape 16 677 1 1 Western Cape paralectotype 1960-12-11 SANC Brown South Africa -31.506945 10 km SW Middelburg 20 25.0175 16 677 1 1 1984-01-23 Barraclough South Africa Knysna Outeniqua State Forest 16 677 7 2 5 [314,1101,1411,1433] 1985-12-28 Londt South Africa Alexandria Forest Reserve 16 677 1 1 [144,961,1435,1457] 1983-01-07 1983-01-09 1983-01-07 Miller South Africa Franskraal 16 677 2 1 1 1979-12-09 Londt & Stuckenberg South Africa Knysna Forest Diepwalle 16 677 8 8 1979-12-07 Londt & Stuckenberg South Africa Storms River Tsitsikamma forest 16 677 8 5 3 1985-12-22 1985-12-27 1985-12-22 Londt South Africa Port Elizabeth Recife Reserve 16 677 2 2 Western Cape 1930-12-10 1930-12-22 1930-12-10 BMNH Turner South Africa -32.716667 Somerset East 1209 25.583334 16 677 1 1 [386,1067,1531,1553] 1935-01 SAMC Mus. Staff South Africa -33.05 Meirings Poort 1207 20.583334 Spitzkop 16 677 2 2 1932-02 1968-12-06 1932-02 SAMC Potgieter & Jones & Barnard South Africa -33.366665 Seven Weeks Poort 1205 21.416666 Seweweekspoort 16 677 2 1 1 [485,963,1579,1601] 1884-12 SAMC South Africa -33.483334 Hex River 1204 19.583334 16 677 1 1 1960-01 SAMC South Africa -33.866665 Loerie 1202 25.016666 16 677 2 1 1 1983-01-13 Miller South Africa 400 -33.95 Diepwalle Forest 1202 23.166666 16 677 2 1 1 [212,731,1627,1649] 1996-12-26 Picker South Africa -33.966667 George 1202 22.45 16 677 1 1 1953-12-31 BMNH South Africa -33.966667 Storms River 1202 23.883333 16 677 2 1 1 [348,858,1651,1673] 1961-12-01 Taylor South Africa -33.966667 Port Elizabeth 1202 25.583334 16 677 1 1 1977-12-13 1977-12-18 1977-12-13 Jacobs South Africa 17 678 -33.983334 Witels Forest 1202 24.116667 16 677 1 1 1988-12-26 Londt South Africa -34.0 Knysna area 1202 23.0 Diepwalle 17 678 4 4 [322,1030,227,249] BMNH Musprah South Africa -34.016666 Tsitsikamma 1202 23.916666 17 678 1 1 1952-12 Heyes South Africa -34.033333 Knysna 1202 23.033333 17 678 1 1 [523,856,251,273] BMNH South Africa Knysna 17 678 1 1 1921-01 SAMC Tucker South Africa -34.033333 Humansdorp 1202 24.766666 Coldstream 17 678 3 3 1988-12-08 Londt & Nat. Res South Africa -34.05 Plettenberg Bay area 1201 23.366667 Robberg 17 678 1 1 1993-01-02 1993-01-03 1993-01-02 ZMHB Koch South Africa -34.066666 Swellendam 1201 20.466667 Bontebok National Park 17 678 1 1 [326,963,323,345] 1995-12-17 Cradock South Africa 30 -34.066666 Knysna 1201 23.133333 Noetzie 17 678 1 1 1994-12-29 1995-01-15 1994-12-29 SAMC van Noort South Africa Goukamma Nat. Res. -34.083332 Buffelsbaai 1201 22.95 Eastern 17 678 2 1 1 1951-01-11 1951-03-01 1951-01-11 Humansdorp Tsitsikamma Forest Assegaaibos 17 678 8 5 3 holotype