Exoprosopa asiris Greathead, 1980

Greathead, D. J., 2001, A study of the Exoprosopa busiris (Jaennicke) group of Bezzi (1924) in tropical Africa (Diptera: Bombyliidae), Journal of Natural History 35 (1), pp. 127-147 : 140

Exoprosopa asiris Greathead

Exoprosopa asiris Greathead, 1980a: 334 , Yemen [examined]

This is the most northerly of the series, from the Yemen highlands, and is distinguished by the orange±brown abdominal sterna and legs and by the predominantly yellow scaling on the abdominal terga. A series of specimens from Saudi Arabia, discussed below, may also belong to this species.

Diagnosis

Antenna with scape and pedicel red; second ¯agellomere very short, little longer than wide. Face orange and with a conspicuous tuft of black hair at the apex. Legs brown with ochreous scales. Body with sterna usually orange±brown, sometimes blackened at their bases; hair and scales predominantly yellow and white, a distinct band of black scales present on t2 only, black hairs present at sides of abdominal terga only. Wing with cell r broadly open, membrane tinged brownish and darker 5

borders to veins very feint, spots distinct and darker. Male genitalia ( Greathead, 1980a: ®gure 29) very similar to E. luteicosta . Spermatheca as E. luteicosta . Length of body, 13±14 mm; of wing, 13±14 mm.

Distribution

Yemen.

A series of specimens from Saudi Arabia (Asir highlands) are smaller, 12±13 mm, have a darker cuticle with legs and abdominal sterna blackish, predominantly white rather than yellow scales and wing pattern darker like E. busiris . Since the male genitalia are identical with those of E. asiris they, almost certainly, represent a distinct population of the same species.

Material examined

Saudi Arabia: Taif escarpment, 1, l 20.viii.1982, A. R. Pittaway; same, 1, l 29.viii.1982; same, 1, l 3.ix.1983; same, ®g zone, 1, l 10.ix.1983; Baljurshi, Dodonea / Olea zone, 1, l 26.ix.1983, A. R. Pittaway; same, 1m, 29.ix.1983 (all DJG).