Ahessea Greathead and Evenhuis, 2001

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 132

Ahessea Greathead and Evenhuis gen. n.

Type species: Cyrtisiopsis crassirostris Hesse, 1938 , by present designation.

Etymology: Named in honour of Albert J. Hesse, who has done much to lay the foundations for bombyliid and mythicomyiid work in southern Africa.

Diagnosis: Most similar to Cyrtisiopsis Séguy , but can be distinguished by the complete Sc; the position of crossvein r-m at the middle of discal cell, and the first antennal flagellomere with distinctive apical and basal bulges. Hesse’s crassirostris characteristically has a very well developed occiput and very long mouthparts; however, an undescribed species of this genus from Namibia has much shorter mouthparts and the occiput is not as greatly expanded posteriorly. The detailed description of the species crassirostris by Hesse (1938) can serve to provide additional information on characterisation of the genus.

Distribution: Monotypic. South Africa: Ahessea crassirostris (Hesse) . A further undescribed species from Namibia has been seen by NLE.