Synolcus armstrongi, Londt, 2012

Londt, Jason G. H., 2012, The genus Synolcus Loew, 1858, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 661-661 : 674-676

Synolcus armstrongi sp. n.

Figs 5 , 30–34 , 78 , 89

Etymology: Named for Dr Adrian Armstrong, of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, whose collecting activities led to the discovery of this species.

Description:

Male.

Head: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, white, pale yellow and black setose.Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine gold­silver pruinose, scape and pedicel black (ventral) and mixed black and pale yellow (dorsal) setose, postpedicel with few black and yellowish setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n= 5) 1:0.9:1.6:1.2 (0.2:0.9:0.2), i.e. pedicel slightly shorter than scape, postpedicel about 1.5 times length of scape, stylus a little longer than scape. Face: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose. Mystax pale yellow (ventral) and black (dorsal), setae slightly better developed ventrally. Frons and vertex: Blackish, gold-silver pruinose, frons black and white setose laterally, ocellar tubercle black setose. Occiput: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, black (dorsally) and pale yellow (centrally and ventrally) setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver, gold-silver and dark red-brown pruinose, black and pale yellow setose. Prothorax:Dark red-brown to blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose (including macrosetae, but there may be 1–2 black macrosetae). Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, gold-silver pruinose with dark red-brown pruinose median band and lateral patches, macrosetae mixed black and pale yellow, minor setae blackish (mainly anteriorly) and pale yellow-white (mainly posteriorly). Macrosetae: acr and dc fairly well-developed posterior of transverse suture, dc extend weakly anterior to suture, 2 npl (mixed black and pale yellow), 2 spal (mixed black and pale yellow), 3 pal (pale yellow only). Scutellum: Blackish, strongly gold-silvery pruinose, disc pale yellow setose, 1 pair pale yellow apical macrosetae. Pleura: Dark red-brown to black, silver to gold-silver pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose except for strong ktg. Legs: Cx blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; cx 3 with 2 lateral macrosetae. Tro dark red-brown, moderately pruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Fem uniform dark red-brown to black, major setae pale yellow (1–2 small black ones at distal end of fem 1), minor setae pale yellow. Tib extensively orange with distal end dark red-brown, major setae mostly black (few pale yellow), minor setae pale yellow and black. Tar blackish, major and minor setae pale yellow (dorsally) and black (ventrally). Wing ( Fig. 5 ): Veins mostly dark red-brown, anterior veins more orange-brown proximally, membrane transparent (slight yellow appearance due to microtrichiae). Cell sc lacking sc–r. Cells r 1 & r 2+3 moderately expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth (mean, n =5) 10.9 (10.4–11.6) × 4.5 (4.2–4.9) mm. Haltere: Orange with pale brownish proximal end.

Abdomen: Blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. T1 fairly uniformly gold-silver pruinose, 4 pale yellow macrosetae laterally accompanied by many pale yellow setae. T2–8 gold- silver pruinose, pale yellow setose (including 1–7 macrosetae). S similar to T.

Terminalia ( Figs 30–34 ): Epand in lateral view ( Fig. 30 ) not projecting very far beyond proct, with a distinctive ventrally directed lobe a little beyond half length and with somewhat bilobed appearance; epand lobes in dorsal view narrowly separated proximally. S8 normal (lacking special development) and not projecting distally. Hypd and goncx clearly seen in ventral view. Hypd moderately well-developed, deeply indented medially (allowing base of aed to be seen, Fig. 32 ). Gonst elongate with upturned distal tip in lateral view ( Fig. 33 ). Aed fairly robust distally with somewhat S-shaped tip ( Fig. 34 ).

Female: Essentially similar to male. Wing length × breadth (mean, n= 3) 11.5 (10.8– 12.4) ×4.1 (3.6–4.5) mm (length and range similar to male, but not expanded and therefore narrower). Terminalia ( Fig. 78 ): Ovipositor laterally compressed, somewhat knife-like and moderately elongate (about twice as long as deep).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: ‘ South Africa / KwaZulu­Natal / Karkloof Nat. Res. / 29°18'7"S / 30°12'28"E / 16/1/2001 ’, ‘ A. Armstrong & P. Ngwenya / NCI Record ID: 162181 / Grassland’ [Google Earth altitude 1677 m].

Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀ same data as holotype but ‘162182’; 1♂ same data as holotype but ‘162183’ (with prey Hemiptera , Pentatomidae ); 1♂ same data as holotype but ‘162184’ and ‘Grassland montane / Plateau’; 1♀ same data as holotype but ‘162185’ and ‘Grassland / Plateau’; 1♂ 1♀ ‘ South Africa / KwaZulu­Natal / Minerva Private Nat. Res. / 29°47'10"S / 30°12'18"E / 11/1/2000 ’, ‘A. Armstrong, Wakelin, Oelleman / NCI Record ID: 163179 / Grassland mistbelt / Summit’ [Google Earth altitude 1496 m].

Distribution, phenology and biology:A KwaZulu-Natal endemic collected at two nature reserves ( Fig. 89 ). Adults fly during the mid­summer month of January (Table 1). Label data and Armstrong (pers. comm.) indicate that this species inhabits grassland adjacent to indigenous forest. A single prey record is available, viz. Hemiptera (Pentatomidae) .

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 30–34. Synolcus armstrongi sp. n., paratype male genitalia (Karkloof): (30) lateral, (31) dorsal, (32) ventral, (33) gonocoxite and gonostylus, (34) aedeagus. Scale line 1 mm.

Figs 76–86. Synolcus species, ovipositor: (76) S. acrobaptus (Wiedemann, 1828) (Cape Town); (77) S. argentius Londt, 1990 (5 km NE Grootderm, redrawn from Londt 1990); (78) S. armstrongi sp. n. (Karkloof paratype);(79) S.aurulentus Engel,1929 (Knysna Forest, redrawn from Londt 1980); (80) S. dubius (Macquart, 1846) (Coffee Bay, redrawn from Londt 1980); (81) S. grieseus Engel, 1927 (Entabeni,redrawn from Londt 1980); (82) S.macrocercus sp.n.(Worcester paratype);(83) S. minor (Bromley, 1947) (Ngome, redrawn from Londt 1990); (84) S. namibiensis sp. n. (Ai-Ais paratype); (85) S. spinosus Londt, 1980 (Gladdespruit paratype, from Londt 1980); (86) S. ukhahlamba sp. n. (Injasuti paratype). Scale lines 1 mm.

Fig. 89. The distributions of Synolcus species: S. armstrongi sp. n. – squares, S. aurulentus Engel, 1929 – circles, S. minor (Bromley, 1947) – triangles.