Synolcus macrocercus, 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 : 684-686

Synolcus macrocercus sp. n.

Figs 9 , 48–53 , 82 , 88

Etymology: From Greek makros (long) and kerkos (tail); with reference to the elongate S8 possessed by this species.

Description:

Male.

Head: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly silver pruinose, pale yellow-white and dark red­brown to black setose. Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine silver pruinose, scape and pedicel dark red-brown to black setose, postpedicel with few pale yellowish white setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n=6) 1:0.9:1.7:1.3 (0.2:1.0:0.1), i.e. pedicel and scape of similar length, postpedicel a little more than 1.5 times length of scape, stylus almost 1.5 times length of scape. Face: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, weakly ventrolaterally. Mystax mostly white with a variable number of black setae dorsomedially. Frons and vertex: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, frons white and black (few) setose laterally, ocellar tubercle black setose. Occiput: Blackish, silver pruinose, black (dorsally) and white (centrally and ventrally) setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver, gold-silver and silver-gold pruinose, black and white setose. Prothorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver pruinose, white setose (may have few dark red-brown macrosetae). Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, mostly silver-gold pruinose, macrosetae black, minor setae short blackish (mainly anteriorly) and longish white (mainly posteriorly). Macrosetae: acr poorly developed, dc moderately developed posterior of transverse suture only, 2 npl, 2–3 spal, 1 pal). Scutellum: Dark red­brown to blackish, silver to silver­gold pruinose, disc fine white or dark red-brown setose, 1 pair black (or rarely whitish) apical macrosetae. Pleura: Dark red-brown to black, silver to silver-gold pruinose, weakly white and pale yellow (ktg) setose. Legs: Cx dark red-brown, silver to gold-silver pruinose, white setose; cx 3 with 2 lateral macrosetae. Tro red-brown, weakly pruinose, weakly white setose. Fem dark red-brown (slightly paler anteroventrally), major setae mostly pale yellow-white (few black), minor setae whitish. Tib brown-orange to red-brown, major setae dark red-brown and pale yellow-white, minor setae white. Tar red-brown, major and minor setae mostly black (a few pale yellow). Wing ( Fig. 9 ): Veins mostly red-brown, anterior veins more orange-brown especially proximally, membrane transparent, but wing tip dark brown stained. Cell sc with sc–r (may be 2 close together). Cells r 1 and r 2+3 slightly expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth (mean, n =6) 6.0 (5.4–6.3) × 2.2 (1.9–2.4) mm. Haltere: Pale yellow with pale brownish distal and proximal ends.

Abdomen: Red-brown to blackish, silver to red-gold and dark red-brown pruinose, black and pale yellow-white setose. T1 fairly uniformly silver pruinose, 2–3 yellow-white macrosetae laterally accompanied by many white setae, posteromedially short black setose. T2–8 mostly silver pruinose but may be darker in appearance anteromedially and anterolaterally with a dark red-brown pruinescence, setae mostly pale yellowish white posterolaterally (including 1–3 macrosetae), mostly short black anteromedially. S similar to T but fairly uniformly silver pruinose, mixed black and white setose.

Terminalia ( Figs 48–53 ): Epand in lateral view ( Fig. 48 ) elongate, almost 3 times as long as deep, with broadly rounded distal end; epand lobes in dorsal view narrowly separated proximally ( Fig. 49 ). S8 well-developed, thickly setose along much of posterior margin and projecting distally as an elongate, almost parallel-sided, lobe with broadly rounded tip ( Figs 48, 50 ). S8 largely obscures from view both hypd and goncx. Medial lobe of S8 demonstrates some variation between males from the two known localities ( Figs 50, 53 ). Hypd reduced and obscured from view in undissected genitalia. Gonst in lateral view fairly short with large, dorsally-directed tip ( Fig. 51 ). Aed S-shaped distally ( Fig. 52 ), with slightly swollen, membranous tip.

Female: Essentially similar to male. Wing length × breadth (mean, n =10) 6.1 (4.9–7.8) × 2.0 mm (1.7–2.4) mm (size and range similar to male, but narrower and not corrugated). Wing with weakly or unstained tip. Tergites with mixed black and white setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 82 ): Ovipositor laterally compressed, knife-like, elongate (about 2.5 times longer than deep).

Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: ♂ ‘ S Africa: Cape #34 / 2 km N Middelpos / 31° 54’S: 20°14’E 1250m / Date: 29.xi.1990 / Londt & Whittington / Dry scrub on dam bank’.

Paratypes: 3♂ 1♀ same data as holotype ; 2♂ 7♀ ‘ S Africa: Cape #1/ Karoo Botanic Gardens / Worcester 3319 Cb [Karoo National Botanical Gardens, 33°36'57"S 19°27'09"E] / 30.xii.1982 – 6.i.1983 / Malaise trap / Coll R.M. Miller’ .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Known from only two localities in South Africa ( Fig. 88 ), one in each of the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. The species occurs together with acrobaptus at the Karoo Botanical Gardens. Adults have been collected in November, January and February (Table 1), on dry scrub vegetation close to the ground or in a Malaise trap.

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 48–53. Synolcus macrocercus sp. n., paratype male genitalia: (48) lateral, (49) dorsal, (50) ventral, (51) gonocoxite and gonostylus,(52) aedeagus tip (2 km N of Middelpos);(53) variation in S8 shape (Worcester). 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.88.The distributions of species in the Synolcus acrobaptus species-group (excluding S. malawi Londt, 1990):S.acrobaptus(Wiedemann,1828) – squares,S.argentius Londt,1990 – circles,S.macrocercus sp. n. – triangles, S. namibiensis sp. n. – diamonds.