Pachychoeromyia Villeneuve, 1920

Kurahashi, Hiromu & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2006, The Calliphoridae of Namibia (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 1322 (1), pp. 1-131 : 66

Genus: Pachychoeromyia Villeneuve, 1920 a: 225.

TYPE SPECIES: Cordylobia praegrandis Austen, 1910 , by monotypy .

NOTES: The genus is represented by a single species, restricted to the Afrotropical Region, and occurring throughout sub­Saharan Africa (Cuthbertson 1933: 94, as Cordylobia ).

Pachycoeromyia praegrandis (Austen, 1910: 79) (Cordylobia) .

Fig. 62 .

TYPE LOCALITY: South Africa .

DISTRIBUTION: Widespread southern Africa: Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa (Cape, Natal, Transvaal), Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

KNOWN RECORD: Ondanga [=Ondangwa] [17°92'S, 15°95'E], ii.1923 (NMSA); S.W. Africa, Brandberg [SE2114Ab], 14.xi.1968, R.F. Lawrence (AMGS).

MATERIAL: 2♀, Gelukkie : Okavango, 6.iv.1990, Marais ; 1♀, Epukiro River, Elandslaagte , 6 km S, 22.xi.1988, Marais ; 1♀, Klein Dobe , 15–17.xi.1985, Rust (2), H64691 ; 1♀, Etudilondjaba , 14–27.i.1993, Marais ( PT) ; 1♂, 1♀, Mahango Game Reserve at(1): 28.ii–2.iii.1992, Pusch & Marais ( HT) fruit; 1♀, Nangera , 14–27.i.1993, Marais ( PT) ; 1♂, 4♀, Enyana , 14–27.i.1993, Marais ( PT) ; 1♀, Kremetartkop , 22–23.xii.1998, Kirk­Spriggs (1), Marais & Mann ( MT) ; 1♀, Nama , 21–22.xii.1998, Marais, Kirk­Spriggs (1) & Mann ( HT) fruit; 1♀, Amkarub 269(1), river on at: 24–26.v.2001, Kirk­Spriggs (1) & Marais ( MT) ; 1♂, Salambala forest , 23–29.xii.2002, Kirk­Spriggs (2) ( MT) ; 4♂, same except: roosting in Aardvark burrow; 1♂, Salambala campsite, 1–4.iii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( PT) baited millipede; 1♂, same except: 1–3.iii.2001, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( HT) faeces; 1♂, same except: 26–28.ii.2001, Marais & Kirk­ Spriggs (1) ( HT) fruit; 2♂, 1♀, same except: 23–28.xii.2002, Kirk­Spriggs (2) ( HT) mango; 1♀, same except: 8–10.ii.2004, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( MT) ; 2♀, Toggenburg 591 campsite, 18–20.ii.2004, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( HT) fruit.

NOTES: Larva live in burrows of Warthog, Aardvark and Aardwolf Proteles cristatus Sparrman (Hyaenidae) , where they feed intermittently on the blood of their hosts, in a manner similar to Auchmeromyia spp. (Cuthbertson 1933: 94, as Cordylobia ; Ferrar 1987: 86). Although the species is a large and conspicuous one, much still remains to be learned of its biology. In Namibia the species has been collected in pitfall and Malaise traps, in hanging traps baited with fermenting mango, fruit baits and faeces, in a pitfall trap baited with a dead millipede and roosting in Aardvark burrows. Adult flies rest in Aardvark burrows during the day and are active during the night, when they are attracted to fermenting fruit baits. North and north­eastern Namibia; in the ‘arid’ and ‘mesic’ savanna and nama­karoo biomes (Etosha Pan) ( Fig. 62 ). Recorded from January to May and November to December (vide Table 2).

Figures

FIGURES 57–62. Distributions of Namibian Calliphoridae species. 57. Bengalia spinifemorata Villeneuve. 58. Cordylobia anthropophaga (Blanchard and Bérenger­Féraud in Larrey). 59. Auchmeromyia bequaerti (Roubaud). 60. A. choerophaga (Roubaud). 61. Neocordylobia roubaudi Villeneuve. 62. Pachycoeromyia praegrandis (Austen).