Ommatius (Pygommatius) brevicornis Curran

Scarbrough, Aubrey G. & Marascia, Claudio G., 2003, Revision of Ommatius Wiedemann (Diptera: Asilidae). IV. Pygommatius subgen. nov. with twenty-five Afrotropical species, Zootaxa 228 (1), pp. 1-94 : 22-24

Ommatius (Pygommatius) brevicornis Curran

Figs. 4 , 23 , 30 , 78­85

Ommatius brevicornis Curran 1927: 12 .

Ommatius brevicornis: Hull 1962: 435 . Oldroyd 1980: 347 (Afrotropical catalogue).

Male. Dark brown. Length, body 12.5­13.7 mm; wing 8.2­8.8 mm. Head: Light yellowishgray to yellow tomentose, mostly yellow setose. Face sparse setose, long setae ventrally; 6 thin, brown bristles, and 6 yellow pencil­like bristles present; FHWR 1.0:6.9­1.0:9.0. Proboscis ventrally with narrow base yellow. Antenna brown setose; frons mixed brown and yellow or entirely yellow setose. Occiput with 3­5 brown postocular bristles, short, apex of longest just beyond margin of eye.

Thorax: Mesonotum mostly yellow to yellowish­gray tomentose, light paramedial stripes and 2 lateral spots, brown; setae sparse, short, mostly or entirely yellow, scattered brown setae present anteriorly and between dorsocentral rows; 2 dorsocentral, 4 lateral, and 2 marginal scutellar bristles present, all brown; scutellar setae about two­thirds as long as marginal bristles. Pleuron yellow to yellowish­gray tomentose, yellowish setose; katatergal bristles yellow or brown. Halter usually yellow, knob often brown­yellow.

Wing ( Fig. 4 ): Dense microtrichia present apically and posteriorly. Cell r 4 with vein R 4 concave apically, R 5 slightly convex medially. Cell m 1 with vein M 1 strongly angled basally. Apex of cell m 3 perpendicular to wing axis, well beyond r­m crossvein.

Leg: Fore coxa mostly and apical third or more of middle coxa yellow to reddish­yellow, base usually brown; fore and middle trochanter mostly yellow; hind coxa and hind trochanter brown; coxae gray tomentose, yellowish setose. Femora mostly or entirely yellow; fore femur sometimes and middle femur usually light brown­yellow to brown on apical third as a diagonal stripe anteriorly, apex dorsally and posteriorly narrowly brown; hind femur brown diagonally from apex ventrally to basal fifth dorsally; middle and hind tibiae with narrow apex and apical third brown, respectively. Fore femur ventrally with 6­7 unusually long, thick, yellow bristles ( Fig. 23 ). Middle femur ventrally slightly concave; 2 long, yellow, ventrobasal bristles present, apex slightly hooked; abundant, erect, posteroventral setae present, short and of equal lengths, those on basal half thickest. Hind femur ( Fig. 30 ) with 3 long, yellow, anteroventral bristles on basal half, bristles absent apically; posteroventral bristles mostly brown and short, those apically longest; HFWLR 1.0:6.1­ 1.0:6.5. Fore tibia and basal tarsomere of fore tarsus laterally fringed with numerous, long setae and several, thin, yellow bristles. Hind tibia normal, sides parallel beyond basal fifth. Fore and middle tarsi with basal tarsomere yellow, hind tarsomere yellow­red to brown; fore and middle tarsi with 4­5 and 1­2 yellow bristles, respectively.

Abdomen: Mostly brown, apical margins of most segments lighter; mostly yellowishgray tomentose with yellow setae; tergites dorsally yellowish­brown tomentose with black setae; apical margin of sternites 7­8 with numerous, long, black setae. Apical half to twothirds of tergite 5, sometimes 6, laterally with close­spaced, ‘fringe’ of short, golden setae. Sternite 3­5 with few to several, erect bristles; sternite 4 with 20­22 bristles aligned in 3 more­or­less transverse rows.

Terminalia ( Figs. 78­82 ): Epandrium 3 branched; dorsal branch long, slender; median branch styliform, slightly sigmoid, apex pointed; ventral branch clavate apically. Hypandrium with transverse cluster of bristles, fused basally; bristles apically flat and wide.

Female. Differs from male as follows. Length, body 12.5­13.7 mm; wing 10.0­ 10.9 mm. Head: Face with 3­5 stout yellow bristles; occiput with 6­10 brown postocular bristles, longest about half distance toward ocellar tubercle; 1.0:6.7­1.0:7.5. Thorax: Mostly yellow tomentose, yellowish­brown dorsally; 1­2 dorsocentral bristles. Wing: Cell m 1 much wider beyond base, vein M 1 more strongly arched forward than in male; cell m 3 with apex at or just beyond r­m crossvein. Leg: Fore and middle femora with only thin, ventral setae, latter with ventral without ventral concavity. Hind femur with 2 ventral rows of 4 thin, wide­spaced, bristles, basal 2 per row yellow, apical 2 brown; 1.0:5.9­1.0:6.0. Fore and hind tibiae normal without fringe or tubercle, respectively. Fore tarsus sometimes with 1 yellow bristle. A bdomen: Most segments with apical margin yellow; fringe of short yellow setae on tergite 5 and erect yellow bristles on sternites 3­5 absent. Tergite 9 dorsomedially extremely thin often appears as a narrow line. Sternite 6 apically and sternite 7 entirely with black vestiture. Terminalia ( Figs. 83­85 ). Two spermathecae present, apex narrow, rounded, duct prebasal and lateral. Sternite 8 evenly rounded apically, yellowishbrown medioapically, slightly concave, with a short horizontal fissure.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. CONGO: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Congo Français, Env. de Brazzaville, E. Rouband and A. Weiss ~ 1907 ( MNHN); 1 ♀, same data except 1908 ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Museum Paris, Rep. Pop. Congo, l. Matile ~ Forét séche, Km 20 route de, Kinkala á Mindouli, 12.x.1975 ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Museum Paris, Rep. Pop. Congo, L. Matile, Forét séche, Km 20 route de, Kinkala á, Mindouli ­ 12.x.1975 ( MNHN). CÔTE D'IVORIE: 2 ♂, Foro Foro, Barrage, 23.i.74, G. Couturier ~ O. R.S. T.O.M. ( MNHN); 1 ♂, Adiopodoume', 20.x.73, G. Couturier ~ O. R.S. T.O.M. ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Lamto, 15.ix.65, Bio 53.10 m 1, 19.ix.65 ~ Y. Gillon ( MNHN); 1 ♂, Dana­, gono (Maraqué), vi.1977, P. M. Elsen ( MRAC). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Holotype ♀, Lisala Congo / 21°30’E 2°10’N / v.16.1915 ~ Long and Chaplin ( AMNH); 1 ♂, Bambesa, 5.vi.1937, J. Vrydagh ( MRAC); 2 ♂, Bambesa, 11.vi.1938 ( MRAC); 1 ♀, Bambesa, 25.v.1938, P. Henrard ( MRAC); 2 ♀, Bambesa, 20.ix.1933 ~ 30.x.1933, H. J. Bredo ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Uelé Bambesa, 10.x.1933, J. Leroy ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Ubangi: Yahoma, 17.ii.1932, H. J. Bredo ( MRAC); 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Lomami: Kaniama, 1931, R. Massart ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Lomami­Luputo, vii­1935, Dr. Bouvier ( MRAC); 1 ♀, same data except 1933 ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Bas. ­ Congo: Cattier, 1946,49, Delafaille ( MRAC); 1 ♀, Bas. Congo: Kalina, vii.1945, Mme. Delsant ( MRAC); 2 ♀, Congo du Lemba, iv.1913, R. Mayné ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Haut­Lopari, vvi.1927, J. Ghesquière ( MRAC); 1 ♀, Rutshuru, xi.1937, J. Ghesquière ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Hte Tshuapa: Yolo, vi.1937, Buckinckx ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Luebo, 7.x.1921, Dr. H. Schouteden ( MRAC); 1 ♂, Lulua: Kapanga, x.1932, G. F. Overlaet ( MRAC); 1 ♀, Yangambi (Stanleyville), v.1959, P. Dessart ( MRAC); 1 ♀, Tolo, xii.1913, Dr. Maes ( MARC). GHANA: 2 ♂, 1911­65 ~ W. P. Lowe ( BMNH). GUINEA: 2 ♀, Guinée Franç, Friguiagbé, Pres Kindia, P. Prins 1908 ( MNHN). MALAWI: 4 ♀, Mt. Mlanje , Nyasaland ~ 11­12, 25.ix.1912 ~ S. A. Reave ( BMNH). NIGERIA: 1 ♂, S. Nigeria, Ibadan, 1925, O. B. Lean ( BMNH); 1 ♂, 672 ~ OBL ~ S. Nigeria, Ibadan, 1925, O. B. Lean ( USNM); 1 ♂, Lagos ~ 1923­58 ~ Dr. L. H. Booth ( BMNH); 1 ♂, same data ( USNM); 1 ♂, N. Nigeria ~ Baro ~ ix.1910 ~ Dr. J. W. S. Macfie ( BMNH). SIERRA LEONE: 1 ♂, Blende, 23.v.1910, J. J. Simpson ( BMNH).

Distribution. Captured throughout the year in riverine forests of Central and West Africa.

Remarks. Three stout anteroventral bristles on the basal half of the hind femur ( Fig. 30 ) and the combined characters of the terminalia ( Figs. 78­85 ) readily characterize O. brevicornis . The thin fringe of long setae on the fore tibia and fore tarsus; the row of stout bristles below the fore femur; and the short, golden, fringe of setae on the lateral margin of tergite 5 further distinguish the male. Although the apical third to one­half of the middle coxa is usually red to yellow, it is sometimes entirely dark and unreliable for recognizing some females. However, the presence of only two spermathecae, the wholly dark ground color of the abdominal tergites, and the exceptionally narrow, line­like middle of tergite 9 further distinguish the female.

The holotype is in good condition except for the left eye being partially collapsed and the middle legs beyond the trochanters are missing.

Figures

FIGURES 1­10. Right wing of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 1. O. alatipes, sp. n..; 2. O. albatus Martin; 3. O. bingeri Oldroyd; 4. O. brevicornis Curran; 5. O. cingulatus Bromley; 6. O. comosus, sp. n..; 7. O. dasypogon Oldroyd; 8. O. digittatus Oldroyd; 9. O. fluvius sp. n..; 10. O. grossus, sp. n. Abbr. R4 =fourth radial vein, r4 = fourth radial cell, m1= first medial cell, m3=third medial cell, d = discal cell, r­m = radial­medial crossvein.

FIGURES 21­28. Right wing of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 21. O. talus, sp. n.; 22. O. vultus, sp. n.; 23­28. Right fore femur of male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. showing arrangement of anteroventral bristles. 23. O. brevicornis Curran; 24. O. grossus, sp. n.; 25. O. limbus, sp. n.; 26. O. litoreus, sp. n.; 27. O. strigiatus, sp. n..; 28. O. vultus, sp. n.

FIGURES 29­38. Male Ommatius (Pygommatius) spp. 29. O. jaculator Walker, middle femur. 30­ 38. Hind femur, 30. O. brevicornis Curran, anterior view; 31. O. comosus, sp. n., anterior view; 32. O. dasypogon Oldroyd, anterior view; 33. O. jaculator Walker, anterior view; 34. O. limbus, sp. n., with coxa, anterior view; 35. O. litoreus, sp. n., anterior view; 36. O. neglectus Bromley, anterior view; 37. O. strigiatus, sp. n., posterior view; 38. O. vultus, sp. n., posterior view.

FIGURES 78­85. Male terminalia of Ommatius brevicornis Curran. 78­80. Lateral, dorsal and ventral views; 81. Gonostylus; 82. Aedeagus, lateral view. Female terminalia. 83. Spermatheca; 84. Genital fork; 85.Sternite 8, ventral view.