Anasillomos chrysopos spec. nov. Figs 1-5
Derivation: Gr. chrysos = gold; opos = face. Refers to the gold pruinose face of this species.
Description: Based primarily on holotype ♂ but supplemented with information from paratypes.
Head (Fig. 2): Antenna (Fig. 1) dark brown; first flagellomere longer than scape and pedicel combined, with a well-developed micro-segment about as long as pedicel; scape and pedicel with yellowish bristles and setae. Face dark brown; strongly gold pruinose, profile as in Fig. 2; eye: face width ratio 1,23:1. Mystax composed ofyellow and white bristles and short white setae; bristles shorter than antennae and occupying lower three-quarters of face. Vertex dark red-brown, strongly gold pruinose, with shortish, strong, yellow-brown bristles laterally. Ocellarium moderately prominent bearing about 8 yellow-brown bristles. Occiput dark red-brown, strongly silver pruinose, bearing short, yellow-brown bristles and short, white setae. Proboscis dark redbrown with fine white setae ventrally. Palp slender dark red-brown with fine yellow and white setae; about half as long as proboscis.
Thorax: Pleura orange-brown, silver-gold pruinose, brown-yellow bristles and fine white setae. Katatergite with ca. 8 brown-yellow bristles and a few, white setae. Antepronotum covered with longish brown-yellow bristles (Fig. 2) some of which also occur on propleuron. Anatergite with a good number of fine, short, white setae laterally. Mesonotum dark red-brown, post-pronotal lobes more orange-brown; silver pruinose longitudinal stripes and velvet black areas, gold pruinose on post-pronotal lobes. Post-pronotal lobes with ca. 10 well-developed brown-yellow bristles; 8 notopleural bristles; 4 supra-alars, 4 postalars, all brown-yellow. Dorsocentrals brownish, moderately developed, do not go anterior of mid length of mesonotum. Posterior part of mesonotum with a few scattered, fine, white setae. Scutellum with 6 brown-yellow marginal bristles; disc with a few, fine, white setae. Halters yellowish. Legs: reddish-brown except for ventral parts of femora which are orange-brown; bristles white, tipped with yellow (those on femora shorter and yellower), setae short white. Claws orange-brown with blackish tips. Wings: Holotype 9,2 X 3,1 mm. Membrane transparent, colourless; venation dark brown, orange anteriorly. Cell r5 closed and long stalked, m narrowly open orjust closed on wing margin, cup: closed on wing margin.
Abdomen: Dark brown, yellow-brown antecostae; terga strongly silver pruinose, with yellow and white bristles laterally and small white setas dorsally. ♂ genitalia as in Figs 3-5.
Variation: Defective specimen from Namib Desert Park not as bristly and with more orange coloration, especially the legs and abdomen.
MATERIAL EXAMINED). BOTSWANA: 3 ♂ (holotype and paratypes), Serowe, 29. viii. 1982, Forchhammer (NM) . NAMIBIA: 2 ♂ (paratypes), Riverside135, Bethanie, SE 2616, 23-26.x. 1971, H 4827 (SMW & NM) ; 1? (paratype), Namib Desert Park, Kuiseb R. nr Gobabeb, on dry river bed, 7.x. 1976, A. B. Cunningham (NM) ; 1 ♀ (paratype), Sesriem 137, Maltahöhe, SE 2415 Db. 15-17. ii. 1973, H 11662 (SMW). NM Type number 2653. H 4827 is a SMW accession number - the collectors were Coetzee, Penrith and Olivier .
Remarks: Appears to be active in mid-summer (Table 1)