Euscelidia pulchra, Dikow, 2003

Dikow, Torsten, 2003, Revision of the genus Euscelidia Westwood, 1850 (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 1-131 : 102-105

Euscelidia pulchra sp. n.

Figs 4C, F , 8B , 58A–G , 59

Etymology: Latin adjective pulchra = beautiful; refers to the attractive appearance of the species.

Diagnosis: The species is distinguished from congeners by the distinct alveoli on the sct, the pale yellow wing veins C, Sc, and R 1, and the specific shape of the meta fem

(tubular in proximal 2/3 and distinctly clubbed in distal third).

Description: Head: Black; fc yellow pruinose, fc gib indistinct, mystax white, many macrosetae; prob and plp brown-black, setae white; oc tr white pruinose dorsally; occ silver pruinose, setae white; Antennae - scp dark brown, white setae ventrally, white pruinose; ped dark brown, brown setae ventrally and dorsally, white pruinose; pped brown, white pruinose proximally and ventrally; apsel brown.

Thorax: Black; ppro peg small, distinct, silver pruinose; sct predominantly apruinose, yellow pruinosity restricted to anterior, lateral, and posterior margins, yellow setae with alveoli scattered on surface, leaving 2 narrow, median longitudinal stripes, fused after 1/3 of length and not reaching posterior margin, and 2 lateral spots, uncovered; macrosetae: white, 1 npl s, 1 spal s; sctl yellow pruinose, ds sctl s and sctl s long, yellow; Legs - yellow to brown; pro and meso fem yellow proximally, orange distally, setae white, meta fem in proximal 2/3 tubular, pale yellow, distal third distinctly clubbed, orange; pro and meso tib brown, yellow proximally, pale yellow stripe not reaching tip anteriorly, meta tib yellow in proximal half, distal half brown; first tar yellow, brown distad, remaining tar brown, setae black; emp about a third of length of clw; Wings - hyaline, very few microtrichia on remigium, veins yellow in proximal half of wing, brown distally, C, Sc, and R 1 completely pale yellow; ptero indistinct; cell d terminating in 3 veins; hlt orange.

Abdomen: Black; T brown pruinose medially, anterior, lateral, and posterior margins grey pruinose, T2 anteriorly with apruinose spot, T1 with long white setae laterally, T 2 in proximal third with white setae laterally, remaining T with short white and yellow setae, S grey pruinose; ơ terminalia Figs 58A–C, G - sur pointed distally, lobe dorsally and ventrally; hypd bent upwards; d aed shea tubular, medium length, v aed shea expanded to form a plate; lat apod bifurcated; ^ terminalia illustrated in Figs 58D–F .

Type material - The ơ holotype is labelled ‘S AFRICA: Natal #9 Albert Falls Dam 29 28'S: 30 22'E 720 m Date: 1.i.1994. Coll: J.G.H. Londt Acacia Grassland / HOLOTYPE Euscelidia pulchra sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (red label)’. The specimen is double mounted (minuten in block of foam), is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the NMSA.

5^^ 5ơơ paratypes are labelled ‘S AFRICA: Natal #9 Albert Falls Dam 29 28'S: 30 22E 720 m Date: 1.i.1994. Coll: J.G.H. Londt Acacia Grassland / PARATYPE Euscelidia pulchra sp. nov. det. T. Dikow 2001 (yellow label)’. The specimens are double mounted (minuten in block of foam), are in good to very good condition, and are deposited in the NMSA.

Type locality and distribution ( Fig. 59 ): South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal , Albert Falls Nature Reserve , 29 28'S 30 22' E . Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda .

Material examined: ANGOLA: 1^ 1ơ Santa Clara , 7 22'S 14 43'E, 30.iii.–1.iv.1972 ; BOTSWANA: 1^ Gaborone, 24 39'S 25 54'E, 9.i.1982 ; KENYA: 1^ Voi , 3 22'S 38 33'E, 4–6.v.1991 ; 1^ Mombasa, 4 02'S 39 40'E, 5.xii.1989 ; NAMIBIA: 2^^ 1ơ Grootfontein , 19 28'S 18 15'E, 21.iii.1984 ; 2^^ Otjiwarongo , 20 39'S 17 05'E, 20.iii.1984 ; 4^^ 7ơơ Omuramba Omatako river , 21 05'S 17 15'E, 19.iii.1984 ; 1ơ Hochfeld , 21 18'S 17 56'E, 18.iii.1984 ; SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 1^ 3ơơ

A B C

D E F

G H I

K L M

A - G H - M

1? Kube Yini Game Reserve, 2748'S 32 14'E, 10–14.i.1994; 1 ^ 1ơ Empangeni, 2831DB, 26.ii.1984; 2^^ 3ơơ 1? Nyala Park Reserve, 2840'S 31 45'E, 16.xii.1980, 27.i.1982, 31.v.1983, 18.vi.1983, 14.iii.1993, 26.ii.1994; 1^ Goudhoek, 28 23'S 31 05'E, 24.ii.1990; 1^ Ntambana area, 28 35'S 31 45'E, 8.i.1986; 1^ Hluhluwe Game Reserve, 2801'S 32 16'E, xii.1990; 10 ^^ 8ơơ 1? Harold Johnson Nature Reserve, 2912'S 31 25'E, 27.i.1987, 3.ii.1988, 14.i.1994; 1 ơ 2?? Albert Falls Nature Reserve, 2928'S 30 22'E, 14.iii.1981, 1.i.1994; 1 ^ 1ơ Richmond, 2952'S 30 16'E, 7.v.1965;

1^ 1ơ Cumberland Farm , 29 30'S 30 30'E, 13.iii.1990 ; 3^^ Umgeni Valley Reserve , 29 34'S 30 37'E, 10+ 15.i.1985, 16.i.1989 ; 1^ 2ơơ Ashburton , 29 38'S 30 24'E, 6.v.1984, 2.i.1989 ; 3^^ 1ơ 4?? Bisley Valley Nature Reserve , 29 39'S 30 23'E, 10.iv.1993, 22.xii.1993 ; 1^ Bishopstowe , 2930CB, 11.ii.1981 ; 1^ 1ơ Nhlavini , 30 33'S 30 04'E, 17.iii.1957 ; Mpumalanga : 1^ Alldays, 2229CA, 25.i.1978 ; 1^ 1ơ Capricorn Private Nature Reserve , 2329CB, 25.i.1978 ; 1^ Kruger National Park , Skukuza, 2431DC, 9–12.iv.1985 ; Northern Prov : 1^ 2ơơ 2?? Marico, 24 13'S 26 54'E, ii.1918 ; SWAZILAND: 1ơ Ngogolo , 26 19'S 31 38'E, 22–24.iv.1991 ; 1^ 2ơơ 1? Lebombo flats, 2631BD, 26.ii.1971 ; TANZANIA: 1ơ Ukiriguru , 2 42'S 33 00'E, 30.iii.1962 ; UGANDA: 1^ Alerek , 2 48'N 33 42'E, 12.viii.1958 ; 2ơơ Kakabara , 0 32'N 30 56'E, 14.viii.1958 . Depository : BMNH, MZLU, NMSA .

Remarks: Theodor (1976: 21) illustrated the female spermathecae and male terminalia of this species.

Figures

Fig. 4. Aedeagi. A, B, D. Euscelidia pallasii. A. Lateral. B. Dorsal. D. Anterior. C, F. E. pulchra sp. n. C. Lateral. F. Dorsal. E, G. E. splendida sp. n. E. Lateral. G. Dorsal. Scale lines = 100 m.

Fig. 8. Wings. A. Euscelidia longibifida sp. n. B. E. pulchra sp. n. C. E. lata sp. n. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 58. ^ and ơ terminalia. A–G. Euscelidia pulchra sp. n. A. ơ dorsal. B. ơ ventral. C. ơ lateral. D.^ dorsal. E. ^ ventral. F. ^ lateral. G. Aedeagus lateral. H–M. E. senegalensis sp. n. H. Aedeagus lateral. I. Lateral apodeme posterior. K. Dorsal. L. Ventral. M. Lateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 59. Distribution. Euscelidia adusta sp. n., triangle; E. atrata sp. n., star; E. picta sp. n., hexagon; E. pulchra sp. n., circles.