Laphria stuckenbergi Oldroyd, 1960: 285 Taxonomic observations regarding four genera ofAfrotropical robber flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae) Londt, Jason G. H. African Invertebrates 2015 2015-06-30 56 1 191 191 8D22G Oldroyd, 1960 Oldroyd 1960 [372,839,1331,1357] Insecta Asilidae Notiolaphria Animalia Diptera 23 214 Arthropoda species stuckenbergi comb. nov.   Figs 10, 18, 19, 36      Laphria stuckenbergi Oldroyd, 1960: 285; 1980: 351 (catalogue).  Etymology: The species was named for the late Dr Brian Stuckenberg, collector of the typespecimens.  Redescription: Based on material examined. No apparent sexual dimorphism exists.  Head: Black, silver and gold-silver pruinose, black and white setose. Antenna: Black, scape black and white setose, pedicel black setose. Segmental ratios (scape as 1) — 1: 0.6: 2.3. Style absent, postpedicel tipped with a pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element. Face black, strongly gibbose, gold-silver pruinose. Mystax mainly long black (dorsally) and white (ventrally), with a pair of dorsolaterally situated groups of silver, glistening, scale-like setae. Dorsal region of face, between gibbosity and antennal sockets, with few moderately long fine white (may be few black) setae. Frons black, dull silver pruinose with moderately long black setae laterally adjacent to eye margin. Ocellar tubercle with a pair of long, strong, black macrosetae. Vertex black, silver pruinose. Postocular (occipital) region black, silver pruinose, black setose dorsally, fine white setose ventrally. Palpi and proboscis dark red-brown to black, white setose.  Figs 5–10.  Notiolaphriaspecies, wings. (5)  No. coerulescens( Macquart, 1834)(Mauritius, Roche Bois); (6)  No. dimidiatifemur( Oldroyd, 1960)(Madagascar, 7km W Ranomafana National Park); (7)  No. microtheres sp. n.(Madagascar, Mikea Forest); (8)  No. miltothorax sp. n.(Madagascar, 7km E Beroboka, Antsarongaza forest); (9)  No. rufitibia( Oldroyd, 1960)(Madagascar, Foulpointe); (10)  No. stuckenbergi( Oldroyd, 1960)(Madagascar, Zombitse National Park).  Figs 11–15.  Notiolaphriamale terminalia ( note: rotated through 90°). (11, 12)  No. coerulescens( Macquart, 1834)(Madagascar, Lambomakakandro): (11) lateral and (12) ventral views; (13)  No. dimidiatifemur( Oldroyd, 1960)(Madagascar, Zombitse Nature Reserve): lateral view; (14, 15)  No. microtheres sp. n.(Madagascar, Mikea Forest): (14) lateral and (15) ventral views. Scale bars = 1 mm.  Figs 16–19.  Notiolaphriamale terminalia ( note: rotated through 90°). (16, 17)  No. miltothorax sp. n.(Madagascar,Ambovomany): (16) lateral and (17) ventral views. (18, 19)  No. stuckenbergi( Oldroyd, 1960)(Madagascar, Zombitse National Park): (18) lateral and (19) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.  Thorax: Black, with areas of silver pruinescence, black, pale yellow and white setose. Pronotum black. Mesonotum black, extensively shiny apruinose, but with areas of fine silver pruinescence (lateral and posterior margins; dorsomedial parts of postpronotal lobes; lateral parts of transverse suture). Acrostichals and dorsocentrals, poorly developed, black and white. Mesonotal macrosetae: Black, 1–3 npl, 2 spal, 2–3 pal. Scutellum black, disc entirely dull silver pruinose, fine white setose, 6–8 long black apical macrosetae. Pleura: Black, entirely silver pruinose, pale yellow or black and white setose. Anepisternum with few pale yellow or black macrosetae posteriorly. Katatergal macrosetae long white (may also have one black seta dorsally). Anatergites uniformly silver pruinose, asetose. Legs: Coxae black, silver pruinose, fine white setose. Trochanters shiny black or dark red-brown, apruinose, white setose. Femora somewhat inflated, uniformly black or with slight red-brown region proximally, yellow and black setose. Tibiae and tarsi shiny black or dark red-brown (hind tibiae may be partly orange-brown proximally), macrosetae mostly black, fine setae mostly long white. Claws black, pulvilli and empodia well developed. Wings: ♂7.4–11.5× 2.3–3.9 mm, ♀7.8× 2.6 mm. Veins red-brown, cell r 5narrowly open or more widely open on margin, m 3and cua closed and stalked, membrane unstained, transparent, microtrichia largely absent from proximal half of wing and extensive in distal half ( Fig. 10). Halter cream with slightly darker base.  Figs 20, 21.  Notiolaphriaspecies, metathoracic legs: (20)  No. dimidiatifemur( Oldroyd, 1960)♀, (Madagascar, 7 km W Ranomafana); (21)  No. rifitibia( Oldroyd, 1960)♂, (Madagascar, Foulpointe).  Abdomen: Shiny black (terga) and dark red-brown (sterna), apruinose except for terga that have entire lateral parts silver pruinescence and sterna that are uniformly weakly pruinose. T1–2 with 2–4 laterally situated yellowish macrosetae, T2 with 2 discal macrosetae, T3–5 ( ♂) or T3–4 ( ♀) with 1–3 yellowish macrosetae, fine setae short, black dorsomedially on terga, longish white laterally on sterna and laterally on terga.  Male terminalia( Figs 18–19): Rotated through 90°. Epandrium as a single shield-like plate, showing no indication of bifurcation distally, but tapering slightly to broad apex. Proctiger well-developed jutting out beyond distal end of epandrium, ventral lobes better developed than dorsal lobes. Gonocoxites composed of external and internal lobes. External lobe fairly robust, tapering gradually to acutely rounded apex in lateral view. Internal lobe relatively weakly developed, laterally compressed, somewhat sigmoid in lateral view, jutting out distally well beyond level achieved by external lobe, clearly dorsally hooked terminally. Gonostylus projecting to about the same level as achieved by internal lobe of gonocoxite, laterally compressed, almost parallel-sided for much of length, somewhat ventrally curved distally. Hypandrium, poorly developed, wider than long in ventral view, with broadly rounded apical lobe. Aedeagus of moderate length with three terminal prongs and dorsally directed process subapically.  Fig. 22.  Notiolaphria microtheres sp. n.♂, (Madagascar, Mikea Forest).  Fig. 23.  Notiolaphria miltothorax sp. n.♀, (Madagascar, Zombitse National Park).  Female terminalia: Simple, slightly telescopic, setaceous and lacking spines.  Material examined: MADAGASCAR:  1♀‘ Madagascar: Tam.[ Toamasina] / Morarano[ c. 19°26'S 47°29'E, c.  1550 m] - Chrome/  10 – 20.iv.1992, A. Paulycol.’ ( GULB);  1♂‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov./ ZombitseN.P. nr national / road 22°50.43'S 44°43.87'E/  825m,  14 – 21 Feb 2002, CAS / coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. Trap/ spiny forest MA 02-13B-16’ ( CAS);  1♂‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov./ ZombitseN.P., nr. Angap/ office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E[ 22°53'19"S 44°41'32"E, c.  810 m] /  840m,  27 March – 3 April 2002/ CAS, coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. / tr. spiny for., MA 02-13A-22’ ( NMSA);  1♀‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov./ ZombitseN.P., nr. Angap/ office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E[ 22°53'19"S 44°41'32"E, c.  810 m] /  840m,  3 – 13 July 2002/ CAS, coll, R. Harin’Hala, mal. / tr. spiny for., MA 02-13A-34’ ( CAS). Additional material: The following specimens were studied and confirmed as  stuckenbergiby Dr Eric Fisher. MADAGASCAR:  1♀‘ Madagascar, Tulear Province/ Zombitse National Park/ near national road, elev.  825 m/ 22°50.43'S 44°43.87'E/ ex. malaise trapin deciduous spiny / forest,  13–20.iii.2002/ California Acad of Sciences/ coll: R. Harin’Hala, MA-02-13B-20’ ( CAS);  1♀‘ Madagascar, Tulear Province/ Zombitse National Park; near ANGAP / office, 22°53.19'S 44°41.53'E/ el.  840m, ex. Malaise trapin / deciduous spiny forest /  31.x. – 16.xi.2002, California Acadof / Sciences, coll: R. Harin’Hala/ MA-02-13A-43’ ( CAS);  1♀‘ Madagascar, Tulear Prov./ Andohahela Natl Park/ Ihazofatsy ParcelleIII, el.  80 m/ 24°49.85'S 46°32.17'E/ ex. malaise trapin dry spiny forest /  19.xii.2003–  3.i.2004/ California Acad of Sciences/ coll: M. Irwin, F. Parker, R. Harin’Hala/ MA-02-21-43’ ( CAS);  Other material: Oldroyd (1960)listed only a unique ♂ holotypehoused in the MNHN. Datasupplied are ‘ Madagascar Est: Ifanadiana[ 21°18'00"S 47°38'00"E, c.  435 m], Ranomafana( B. Stuckenberg)’, ‘ Décembre’.  Remarks: Havingcompared the examined specimens with photographs of the holotypeI am confident that the new material has been correctly identified.  Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from four fairly widely separated areas ( Fig. 36). The Zombitse material was collected in spiny forest and so the species appears to inhabit fairly dry places. Known material has been collected between 810–1550 maltitude during the months of January, March, April, July, October, November and December ( Table 1), and so the species is apparently active in the adult stage throughout much of the year. No prey records are known. 1992-04-10 1992-04-20 1992-04-10 GULB A. Pauly Madagascar 1550 -19.433332 Morarano 1271 47.483334 Tam. 28 219 1 1 Toamasina 2002-02-14 2002-02-21 2002-02-14 CAS R. Harin'Hala & Trap Madagascar 825 -22.8405 Zombitse 12 44.731167 Tulear Prov. 28 219 1 1 Toamasina 2002-03-27 2002-04-03 2002-03-27 NMSA R. Harin'Hala Madagascar 810 -22.88861 Zombitse 21 44.692223 Tulear Prov. 28 219 1 1 Toamasina 2002-07-03 2002-07-13 2002-07-03 CAS R. Harin'Hala Madagascar 810 -22.88861 Zombitse 21 44.692223 Tulear Prov. 28 219 1 1 Toamasina 2002-03-13 2002-03-20 2002-03-13 CAS R. Harin'Hala California Acad of Sciences 825 -22.8405 Madagascar 12 44.731167 Zombitse National Park 28 219 1 1 2002-10-31 2002-11-16 2002-10-31 CAS R. Harin'Hala Zombitse National Park 840 -22.8865 Madagascar 12 44.692165 Tulear Province 28 219 1 1 2003-12-19 2004-01-03 2003-12-19 CAS M. Irwin & F. Parker & R. Harin'Hala California Acad of Sciences 80 -24.830833 Madagascar 12 46.536167 Ihazofatsy Parcelle 28 219 1 1 Ranomafana & B. Stuckenberg Madagascar Ifanadiana 435 -21.3 Data 21 47.633335 Est 28 219 3 1 holotype