Synolcus amnoni Londt, 1990

Londt, Jason G. H., 2012, The genus Synolcus Loew, 1858, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 661-661 : 670-672

Synolcus amnoni Londt, 1990

Figs 3 , 22–25 , 91

Synolcus amnoni: Londt 1990: 3 , figs 1 (wing), 5–8 (♂ gen.).

Redescription (holotype greasy, not adequately displaying colours and pruinescence):

Male.

Head: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly silver-gold pruinose, black, pale yellow and white setose.Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine silver­gold pruinose, scape and pedicel black (mostly ventrally) and pale yellow (mainly dorsally) setose, postpedicel with few pale yellow setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n= 2) 1:0.7:1.4:1.1 (0.2:1.0:0.1), i.e. pedicel shorter than scape, postpedicel almost 1.5 times length of scape, stylus almost as long as postpedicel. Face: Blackish, strongly silver-gold pruinose. Mystax mostly black with white setae ventromedially (weak on lateral epistomal margins), setae slightly better developed ventrally. Frons and vertex: Blackish, weakly silver-gold pruinose, frons black setose, ocellar tubercle black setose. Occiput: Blackish, strongly silver-gold pruinose, black (dorsally), pale yellow (centrally) and white (mainly ventrally) setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Prothorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose, pale yellow setose (some black macrosetae). Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose, macrosetae uniformly black, minor setae short blackish (mainly anteriorly) and longish pale yellow (mainly posteriorly and marginally). Macrosetae (uniform black): acr poorly developed, dc moderately well-developed both posterior and anterior of transverse suture, 2 npl, 3 spal (+ 1–2 weaker setae), 2 pal (+ 1 weaker seta). Scutellum: Dark red-brown to blackish, red-gold pruinose, disc pale yellow and black setose, 1–2 pairs black apical macrosetae (second pair weak). Pleura: Uniform dark red-brown to black, red-gold pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Legs: Cx dark red-brown to black, red-gold pruinose, white setose; cx 3 with 1 lateral macrosetae. Tro dark red-brown, largely apruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Fem dark red-brown anterodorsally, orange posteroventrally, major setae mostly black (few pale yellow), minor setae mostly short pale yellow. Tib mainly orange with dark red-brown distal tip, major setae black, minor setae pale yellow. Tar dark red-brown, major setae black, minor setae mainly pale yellow. Wing ( Fig. 3 ): Veins mostly dark red-brown, proximally more orange-brown, membrane transparent, slightly pale yellowish. Cell sc lacking a distal crossvein (sc–r). Cells r 1 and r 2+3 slightly expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth (mean, n=2) 9.5 (8.9–10.1) × 3.9 (3.6–4.1) mm. Haltere: Orange-brown.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, silver-gold pruinose, yellow setose. T1 with c. 4 pale yellow macrosetae laterally, accompanied by pale yellow setae. T2–7 silver-gold pruinose, yellow setose. T8 and terminalia apruinose. Terminalia yellow, orange and black (few distally on epand) setose. S similar to T.

Terminalia ( Figs 22–25 ): Epand in lateral view ( Fig. 22 ) a little more than twice as long as deep, with broadly rounded distal end; epand lobes in dorsal view abutting proximally ( Fig. 23 ). S8 moderately developed, somewhat trifurcate distally ( Fig. 24 ), only partly obscuring hypd. Central prong of S8 not projecting further distally than lateral prongs ( Fig. 24 ). Gonst in lateral view as in Fig. 25 , aed sinuous distally ( Fig. 25 ). Hypd poorly developed, hind margin gently indented medially.

Female: Unknown.

Type material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ holotype ‘ South Africa: Natal / Vernon Crookes N. R. / 3030BC / Date 10.x.1983 / Coll A Freidberg’ ; 1♂ paratype ‘ South Africa / KwaZulu­Natal / Nkandla Forest Reserve / 28°44'46"S 31°8'37"E / 20/11/2001 ’, ‘ A. Armstrong & H. Murray / NCS Record ID: 163172 / Grassland mistbelt’ .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ( Fig. 91 ), being recorded from two nature reserves. Adults fly during the spring and early summer months of October and November (Table 1). Label data and A. Armstrong (pers. comm.) indicate that the flies inhabit the grassland biome.

Figures

Figs 2–14. Synolcus species,♂ wing venation:(2) S.acrobaptus (Wiedemann, 1828) (Gydo); (3) S.amnoni Londt, 1990 (Nkhandla); (4) S. argentius Londt, 1990 (5 km NE Grootderm); (5) S.armstrongi sp.n. (Karkloof paratype); (6) S. aurulentus Engel, 1929 (Outeniqua); (7) S. dubius (Macquart, 1846) (Ntumeni); (8) S. griseus Engel, 1927 (Entabeni); (9) S. macrocercus sp. n. (Middelpos paratype); (10) S. malawi Londt, 1990 (Lichenya paratype); (11) S. minor (Bromley, 1947) (Melmoth); (12) S. namibiensis sp. n. (Ai-Ais paratype); (13) S. spinosus Londt, 1980 (Gladdespruit paratype); (14) S. ukhahlamba sp. n. (Monks Cowl holotype).

Figs 22–25. Synolcus amnoni Londt, 1990, holotype male genitalia (Nkhandla): (22) lateral, (23) dorsal, (24) ventral, (25) gonostylus and aedeagus (redrawn from Londt 1990). Scale line 1 mm.

Fig.91.The distributionsSynolcus species:S.amnoni Londt,1990 – squares,S.griseusEngel,1927 – circles, S. spinosus Londt, 1980 – triangles, S. ukhahlamba sp. n. – diamonds.