Philodicus tenuipes Loew, 1858

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, A review of the genus Philodicus Loew, 1848 in southern Africa (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 747-747 : 762-765

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5733/afin.056.0317

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8360118

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4B782711-FF97-B50C-8FE5-F994FEFC9ABF

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Philodicus tenuipes Loew, 1858
status

 

Philodicus tenuipes Loew, 1858 View in CoL View at ENA

Figs 1 View Fig , 21–25 View Figs 21–24 View Fig

Philodicus tenuipes Loew, 1858: 361 View in CoL [1860: 212]; Blasdale 1957: 139 (pl. I. fig. 6 ♂ gen., pl. II. fig. 3 ♀ S*); Londt 1978: 422 (figs 4 ♂ gen, 10 aed); Hull 1962: 456; Oldroyd 1980: 343 (catalogue).

Loew (1858) described the species on Wahlberg collected material from ‘Caffraria’ [Eastern parts of South Africa]. Blasdale (1957) discusses the close similarity between this species and cinerascens , giving the distribution of tenuipes as ‘ Southern Rhodesia [ Zimbabwe], Pretoria [in South Africa], Cape Colony [formerly a large part of South Africa] and South West Africa [ Namibia]’.

Material examined: ANGOLA: 2♂ 1♀ ‘ Cuanza [Kuanza] Riv. Mouth   GoogleMaps [? Longa River mouth c. 10°14'S 13°30'E 1 m] / 40mi. S. Luanda / Angola. Jan 1972 ’, ‘ Collectors / B. Stuckenberg’ ( NMSA)*. MOZAMBIQUE: 1♀ ‘ Chinde   GoogleMaps [c. 18°35'S 36°28'E 5 m] / Mozamb. / K.H. Barnard / Nov.1912 ’, ‘ Philodicus ♀ / fraternus Wied’, ‘ Ricardo / determ.’ (pale blue), ‘SAM-DIP / A007808’ ( SAMC); 1♀ ‘ Chinde [c. 18°35'S 36°28'E 5 m] Zambezi / River Delta / Port East Africa   GoogleMaps / P.J. Usher’, ‘5.xi.57’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Bazaruto   GoogleMaps [Island c. 21°40'S 35°27'E 0 m] / 8/3/71’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ 3♀ ‘ BenguÉrua   GoogleMaps [Benguerra c. 21°52'S 35°25'E 10 m] / 6/3/71’ ( NMSA)*; 1♀ ‘ Magaruque   GoogleMaps [Island c. 21°58'S 35°26'E 35 m] / 5/3/71’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ ‘BanguÉ [ Island   GoogleMaps c. 22°02'S 35°27'E 0 m] / 6/3/71’ ( NMSA); 2♂ 1♀ ‘BanguÉ / 7/3/71’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ ‘ Moçambique / Namaacha   GoogleMaps [c. 25°59'S 32°02'E 535 m] / 28/7/1980 / Coll. H.R. Feijen’ ( NMSA); 7♂ 8♀ ‘ Inhaca Is. [c. 26°01'25"S 32°57'18"E 50 m] Mozam. / No. 942-950, 956-960 [respectively] / 17-I-1964 / Coll. A.L. Moore’, ‘USNMENT01100114– USNMENT01100126 [respectively]’ ( USNM). NAMIBIA: 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Otjimbumbe   GoogleMaps [c. 17°30'S 14°15'E 1064 m] / Kunene R. / Mar. 1932 ’ ~ ‘ S.W. Africa / Mus. Exped. ’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007828 & 29’ ( SAMC)*; 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Hoarusib   GoogleMaps [c. 18°31'58"S 12°50'31"E 435 m] Otshu / S.W.A. ’ ~ ‘ Mus. Exped. / Mar.1926 ’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007832’ ( SAMC)*; 2♀ ‘ Namibia 20.iii.1984 / 60km E Otjiwarongo / Rd   GoogleMaps 101 20 39'S 17 05'E [c. 1490 m] / Londt & Stuckenberg / Acacia thornveld and dry river course’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 2♀ ‘ South West Africa 2115 Ba / Omaruru Dist.   GoogleMaps 50km N.W. Omaruru   GoogleMaps [c. 21°26'S 15°56'E 1215 m], 1200m. 5-ii-1974 / M.E. Irwin, flood plain / with large Acacia trees’ ( NMSA)*; 4♂ 1♀ ‘ Namibia   GoogleMaps 29.iii.1984 / 26km N Windhoek. Road / 1/6. 22 20'S 17 04'E [c. 1470 m] / Londt & Stuckenberg / Dry stream bed Acacia / riparian woodland’ ( NMSA); 3♂ ‘ Namibia   GoogleMaps 16.iii.1984 / 18km E Windhoek Road / 6/1. 22 32'S 17 14'E [c. 1880 m] / Londt & Stuckenberg / Damp riverbed with / Acacias Stony ground’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 3♀ ‘ Namibia 18.iv.1983 / Aris   GoogleMaps [c. 22°45'S 17°08'E 1805 m] 30km S Windhoek / 2217 CA Stuckenberg / & Londt Thornveld’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ Rehoboth   GoogleMaps [c. 23°19'S 17°05'E 1405 m] / S.W.A. ’ ~ ‘ Bell-Marley / Nov – Jan 1938 ’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007830’ ( SAMC)*; 1♀ ‘ Cayimaeis [?] / S.W.A. ’ ~ ‘ Mus. Exped. / Mar. 1925 ’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007831’ ( SAMC)*. SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ ‘ Sth Africa: Limpopo / Messina Nature Reserve   GoogleMaps / 22°24'54"S 30°05'12"E / J.G.H. Londt & T. Dikow / 487m 14.ii.2005 Mopane / dry woodland Sand Riv’ ( NMSA); 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Sth Africa: Limpopo / Ben Lavin Nature Res.   GoogleMaps / 23°08'38"S 29°57'03"E / J.G.H. Londt & T. Dikow / 865m 13.ii.2005 Acacia / Zizyphus dry woodland’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa Tvl / D'Nyala Nat Res   GoogleMaps Ellis- / ras 23.45S 27.49E / 850m 5–6.x.1989 / M.W. Mansell’ ( SANC); 2♂ ‘ South Africa N.W. Tvl / Mogol Nature Reserve   GoogleMaps / Ellisras Dist.   GoogleMaps 23.58S / 27.45E 19–23.xi.1979 / G.L. Prinsloo, M.W. Mansell / S.J. van Tonder, C. Kok’ ( SANC); 2♂ 1♀ 1? ‘ South Africa N.W. Tvl / Mogol Nature Reserve   GoogleMaps / Ellisras Dist.   GoogleMaps 23.58S / 27.45E 19–23.xi.1979 / M.W. Mansell’ ( SANC); 1♀ ‘ South Africa / Trsvl., 5mi. W. / Warmbad   GoogleMaps [= Bela-Bela c. 24°53'S 25°17'E 1150 m] / 24-25 Feb. 1968 / Krombein & Spangler’, ‘USNMENT01100128’ ( USNM); 1♂ 2♀ ‘ South Africa Transvaal / Kruger Park 9.xii.1972 / Timbetene Tswiri   GoogleMaps waterholes / savannah woodl and nr Skukuza   GoogleMaps [c. 25°00'S 31°36'E 285 m] / B & P Stuckenberg 2431 Dc’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ 1♀ [♂ as prey for ♀] ‘ South Africa: Transvaal / Kruger Park   GoogleMaps 9.xii.1972 / Lower Sabie Camp area   GoogleMaps [c. 25°07'S 31°55'E 175 m] / open savannah & riverbanks / B & P Stuckenberg 2531 Bb’ ( NMSA)*; 1♀ ‘ S Africa: N-W Province / Pilanesberg National Park / Manyane Trail   GoogleMaps 15.xi.1999 / 25°15'12"S 27°13'25"E / J.G.H. Londt 1200m’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ Boekenhoutskloof   GoogleMaps [c. 25°30'S 28°27'E 1180 m], S.A. / (30km NE Pretoria) / 7.xii.77 / G. Bernon’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ Noordkaap River   GoogleMaps [c. 25°44'S 30°59'E 650 m] at / Barberton Nelspruit Road / 2530 DB Transvaal / 7 Nov 70 Stuckenberg / Riverbank bushveld’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ ‘ Pretoria   GoogleMaps [c. 25°45'S 28°11'E 1345 m] / L. Schunke / 2-85 [ii.1885]’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007833’ ( SAMC); 1♂ ‘JHB [= Johannesburg   GoogleMaps c. 26°10'S 27°58'E 1760 m] / P. Leniare / Feb 1963 / Natal A.R.I. ’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa. Natal / Kosi Bay – Estuary   GoogleMaps [c. 26°54'S 32°53'E 10 m] / 2632DD 16–19.iii.1982 / Coll: D.A. Barraclough’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ South Africa: Natal / 5km S Ndumu [= Ndumo] Game Res   GoogleMaps [c. 26°57'S 32°15'E 50 m] / 2632CD 6.x.1982 / coll. J. & B. Londt / Woodland near stream’ ( NMSA); 2♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa / Natal, Zululand   GoogleMaps / Sodwana Bay   GoogleMaps [c. 27°32'49"S 32°40'10"E 40 m] / 2732DA / 8.v.1981 C. Car’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007834’ ( SAMC); 1♂ ‘ South Africa / Natal, Zululand / Sodwana Bay / 2732DA 15.v.1981 / C. A. Car dunes / on beach’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007836’ ( SAMC); 1♀ ‘ Bonamanzi / Reserve   GoogleMaps [c. 28°03'S 32°18'E 20 m] / Sand path / through sand / Forest 21.xi.95’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa, Natal Prov / Cape Vidal   GoogleMaps [c. 28°07'S 32°33'E 30 m], 20mi N St. Lucia; ME & BJ Irwin 0 to / 20m; coastal dune forest / Nov. 24. 1971 (2832 Ba)’ ( NMSA)*; 9♂ 8♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / St. Lucia Nature Res.   GoogleMaps [c. 28°16'S 32°29'E 40 m] / 2832AD 18–20.xii.1981 / Londt & Stuckenberg / Coastal bush & forest’ [1♀ with prey Apidae ( Apis mellifera )] ( NMSA); 1♂ 4♀ 2? ‘ South Africa, Natal Prov / Zululand   GoogleMaps , St. Lucia   GoogleMaps [c. 28°22'S 32°25'E 25 m], Nov. 24 / 1971; ME & BJ Irwin (2832 Ad) / coastal dune assoc. 8m el.’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / St. Lucia Park Reserve   GoogleMaps / ca. 28°22'S 32°25'E / J.G.H. Londt 20m / 2.ii.1988 Dune forest’ ( NMSA); 2♀ ‘ Dukuduku [Forest c. 28°23'S 32°19'E 175 m] between / St   GoogleMaps Lucia & Matubatuba / Zululand S. Africa / B & P Stuckenberg / 7–8 April 1960 ’ ( NMSA)*; 4♂ 2♀ ‘ S Africa: KwaZulu-Natal / Greater St. Lucia Wetland / Park Sugarloaf Camp area   GoogleMaps / 28°23'01.9"S 32°25'07.4"E / J.G.H. Londt 9.iii.2004 / - 6m sand at estuary edge’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / St. Lucia Estuary   GoogleMaps [c. 28°23'S 32°25'E 0 m] / Coastal bush grassland / Date: 7.x.1983 / Coll: B.R. Stuckenberg’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 5♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / St. Lucia Estuary   GoogleMaps [c. 28°23'S 32°25'E 0 m] / 22.ii.1979 2832AD / JGH Londt Beach’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ South Africa Natal / St Lucia sea level / Oct 31, 1972, M.E. / Irwin, coastal dunes’ ( NMSA)*; 1♂ 3♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umfolozi   GoogleMaps bridge / 7km SW Mtubatuba [c. 28°27'S 32°09'E 20 m] / 3.xii.75 WL Overal / DJ Brothers’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Richard’s Bay   GoogleMaps [c. 28°40'S 32°05'E 5 m] area / 3205E 2850S 12.iii.83 / PE Reavell 25m / In sand dunes’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Enseleni Reserve   GoogleMaps [c. 28°41'S 32°00'E 30 m] / Grassveld / Date: 4.iv.81 / Coll: P. Reavell’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ Mfongosi   GoogleMaps [c. 28°43'S 30°50'E 575 m] / Zulu L. [Zululand] / W E Jones’ ~ ‘ Dec. 1914 ’, ‘SAM-DIP / A007825’ ( SAMC)*; 1♂ 2♀ ‘ R.S. A.: KZ-Natal #81 / Umlalazi Nature Reserve / 28°57'S 31°46'E 50m / Date: 8.xi.1997 / Coll:JGH & A Londt / Dune forest   GoogleMaps & margins’ [1♀ with prey Caenagrionidae] ( NMSA); 2♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umlalazi Nature Res   GoogleMaps [c. 28°57'S 31°46'E 5 m] / 2831DD 2–10.x.1982 / coll. J.G.H. Londt / Dune-forest & edges’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umlalazi Nature Res. / 26–27.i.1987 / JGH Londt SE 2831DD / Dune forest & margin’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ Sth Africa: KZN Prov / Umlalazi Nature Res.   GoogleMaps / 28°57'02"S 31°47'13E / J & A Londt 12.xi.2014 / 8m Estuary   GoogleMaps sandy edge’ ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umlalazi Nature Res.   GoogleMaps [c. 28°57'S 31°46'E 5 m] / 26–27.i.1987 / JGH Londt SE 2831DD / Dune forest   GoogleMaps & margin’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Umlalazi Nature Res.   GoogleMaps / ca. 28°57'S 31°40'E / 20m 28–29.i.1988 / Dune Forest J. Londt’ ( NMSA); 5♂ 3♀ ‘ S Africa: KwaZulu-Natal / Umlalazi Nature Reserve / 28°57'19"S 31°46'31"E / 5m 21.ii.2011 J.G.H. Londt / Estuary   GoogleMaps banks & forest’ ( NMSA); 3♂ 2♀ ‘ So. Africa: Nata; / 1, 5 km / E. Mtunzini 2831 Dd   GoogleMaps / Umlalazi Nature Res.   GoogleMaps [c. 28°57'S 31°46'E 5 m] / 24–25.iii 1979 R. Miller / Coastal dune veget.’ ( NMSA); 2♂ 1♀ same data but 28.i.1979 ( NMSA); 1♂ 1♀ same data but 4 Nov 1979 ( NMSA); 1♀ same data but 15 Feb 1981 ( NMSA); 3♂ same data but 19–27 Jan 1980 ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ Mtunzini   GoogleMaps [c. 28°58'S 31°46'E 10 m] / Natal RSA / 14.2.85 / M.H. Villet / (coastal dunes)’ ( NMSA); 4♂ 2♀ ‘ Sth Africa: KZN Prov / Mtunzini Forest   GoogleMaps Lodge / Area   GoogleMaps 10–14.xi.2014 / 28°58'02"S 31°47'18E / J & A Londt 10m / Coastal dune vegetation’ ( NMSA); 1♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Mhlopeni Nature Res.   GoogleMaps [c. 29°01'S 30°25'E 915 m] / 15km SE Muden 2930AB / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Date: 4.ii.1984 ’ ( NMSA); 5♂ 2♀ same data but 22.xii.1983 ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ South Africa: N Cape / Kenhardt Hartebeest Riv.   GoogleMaps / 29°20'47"S 21°08'42"E / 14.xi.2011 780m / J & A Londt Dry river bed / Sandy Acacia savanna’ ( NMSA); 2♀ ‘ Blythedale   GoogleMaps [c. 29°22'S 31°21'E 5 m] / Beach / Natal / 16.3.1963 / T.W. Schofield’ ( NMSA)*; 1♀ ‘ Town Bush [Reserve c. 29°33'S 30°20'E 1000 m] / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa   GoogleMaps / T. Schofield / 31.v.57’ ( NMSA)*; 3♂ 4♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Tongaat Riv.   GoogleMaps mouth [Mdloti River c. 29°39'S 31°08'E 5 m] / 2931CA 22.xi.1978 / open sandy area / J.G.H. Londt’ ( NMSA). ZIMBABWE: 2♂ 2♀ ‘ Country Rhodesia / Loc Chirundu   GoogleMaps [c. 16°02'S 28°51'E 400 m] / Date 18-5-1965 / Coll R. Borthwick’ ( NMSA); 1♂ ‘ Hillside   GoogleMaps [Harare c. 17°50'S 31°05'E 1485 m], S. Rhod / 17.xi.1922 / Swinburne & / Stevenson’ ( NMSA)*.

Material not studied: Londt (1978) records: ‘ 1♂, Mtunzini [c. 28°58'S 31°46'E 10 m], xii.1961, W.E. Lawson (D.M.); 1♀, Twinstreams [c. 28°59'S 31°44'E 15 m], Mtunzini, 15.xii.1963, Lawson & Bouguin (D.M.); 1♂, M’Fongosi [Mfongosi c. 28°43'S 30°50'E 575 m], Zululand, xii.1914, W.E, Jones (S.A.M.).’ also ‘ 2♂ 2♀, Otjimbumbe [?], Kunene River, iii.1923, S.A.M. Exped. (S.A.M.); 1♂, Hoarusib Otshu, iii.1926, S.A.M. Exped. (S.A.M.); 1♀, Cayimaeis, iii.1923, S.A.M. Exped. (S.A.M.).’ In additional material listed as unstudied includes: Holotype “ Caffraria’: 1♀, (Rijksmuseum)’ and ‘ South West Africa: Hoarusib   GoogleMaps [c. 18°21'S 13°00'E 590 m], Otshu   GoogleMaps , iii.1926, S.A.M. Exped. (S.A.M.); Rehoboth   GoogleMaps [c. 23°19'S 17°05'E 1405 m], xi–xii.1935, Mell-Marley   GoogleMaps (S.A.M.).’

Distribution, phenology and biology: A fairly widespread species in southern Africa ( Fig. 25 View Fig ). The species has been collected sympatrically with fraterculus at Bela Bela and dubius at Umlalazi Nature Reserve. Data presented in this paper confirm the presence of the species in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and records, for the first time, material from Mozambique and Angola (which is not strictly speaking a southern African country). The species flies from October through to May – there being a single record for July ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). Although a fairly commonly collected species, only 5 prey records are known (all associated with females): Odonata : Caenagrionidae (1). Diptera : Calliphoridae (1), Sarcophagidae (1). Hymenoptera : Apidae (2 – Apis mellifera ). The female ovipositor is distally broad and spade-like so may be adapted for digging in loose sand.

NMSA

KwaZulu-Natal Museum

SAMC

Iziko Museums of Cape Town

USNM

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

SANC

Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Asilidae

Genus

Philodicus

Loc

Philodicus tenuipes Loew, 1858

Londt, Jason G. H. 2015
2015
Loc

Philodicus tenuipes

LONDT, J. G. H. 1978: 422
HULL, F. M. 1962: 456
BLASDALE, P. 1957: 139
1957
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