Synolcus ukhahlamba, 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 : 693-695

Synolcus ukhahlamba sp. n.

Figs 14 , 72–75 , 86 , 91

Etymology: Named after the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, a World Heritage Site, as all known records are from this mountainous region.

Description:

Male.

Head: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, black and pale yellow setose.Antenna: Dark red­brown to blackish, fine silver­gray pruinose, scape and pedicel black (ventrally) and pale yellow (dorsally) setose, postpedicel with few yellowish setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios 1:0.7:1.2:1.0 (0.1:0.7:0.1), i.e. pedicel shorter than scape, postpedicel a little longer than scape, stylus as long as scape. Face: Blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose. Mystax black (dorsally) and pale yellow (ventrally), setae slightly better developed ventrally. Frons and vertex: Blackish, gold-silver pruinose, black setose (including ocellar setae). Occiput: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, black (dorsally) and pale yellowish (centrally and ventrally) setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver, gold-silver and dark brown pruinose, black, pale yellow and white setose. Prothorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver (posteriorly) gold-silver (anteriorly) pruinose with dark brown pruinose median band and lateral patches, macrosetae mostly black (few pale yellow as listed below), minor setae short blackish (mainly anteriorly) and longish pale yellow-white (mainly posteriorly). Macrosetae: acr poorly developed anteriorly, dc moderately well-developed posterior of transverse suture and extending weakly anterior of suture, 2 npl, 3–5 spal (different on either side, some fairly weak), 2 pal (1 strong black, 1 weak pale yellow). Scutellum: Dark red-brown to blackish, hind margin somewhat yellowish, silvery pruinose, disc black setose, 1 pair apical macrosetae (1 black, 1 pale yellow). Pleura: Dark red-brown to black, silver to gold-silver pruinose, weakly white and pale yellow setose except for stronger ktg. Legs: Cx dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; cx 3 with 1 lateral macroseta. Tro dark red-brown, largely apruinose, weakly pale yellow setose. Fem mainly orange with dark red-brown to black anterodorsal faces, major setae mixed pale yellow and black, minor setae pale yellow. Tib extensively orange with dark red-brown distal tips, major setae mixed black and pale yellow, minor setae pale yellow. Tar dark red-brown, major and minor setae mixed black and pale yellow. Wing ( Fig. 14 ): Veins mostly dark red-brown, anterior veins more orange-brown proximally, membrane transparent. Cell sc lacking sc–r. Cells r 1 and r 2+3 considerably expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length × breadth 9.6 × 4.1 mm. Haltere: Yellowish with slightly darker proximal end.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. T1 uniformly gold-silver pruinose, 3 pale yellow macrosetae laterally accompanied by many pale yellow setae. T2–8 gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow pruinose, pale yellow setose (including c. 3 posterolateral macrosetae). S similar to T.

Terminalia ( Figs 72–75 ): Epand in lateral view ( Fig. 72 ) elongate oval, a little more than twice as long as deep, with broadly rounded distal end; epand lobes in dorsal view closely associated proximally before diverging to fairly well separated distal tips ( Fig. 73 ). S8 short, posterior margin somewhat trifurcate ( Fig. 74 ). Hypd moderately developed with slightly medially protruding posterior margin ( Fig. 74 ). Gonst in lateral view with fairly large distal end ( Fig. 75 ). Aed with elongate, sinuous, filamentous distal region ( Fig. 72 ).

Female: Essentially similar to male. All mesonotal macrosetae black. Scutellar apical macrosetae all black. Wing length × breadth (mean, n= 5) 11.1 (9.2–12.7) × 4.1 (3.5– 4.6) mm (on average bigger than male). Terminalia ( Fig. 86 ): Ovipositor laterally compressed, knife-like, fairly short (almost twice as long as deep).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: ‘ South Africa KZNatal / uKhahlamba­Drakensberg / Park Monk’s Cowl N. R. / 29°03'03"S 29°24'12"E / 25.i.2006 J.G.H. Londt / 1462m Rank stream veget’.

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 3♀ ‘ South Africa: Natal / Injasuti Nature Res. / 2929AB 5–11.xii.1983 / Coll J.G.H. Londt / at M/V light trap’ ; 1♀ ‘ S Africa KZ­Natal #14 1998 / Mount Ararat near Groenvlei / 27°33.4'S 30°20.4'E 1680m / Date 28­Jan­1998 / Coll S. James / Grassland next to indig. forest’ ; 1♀ ‘ South Africa / KwaZulu­Natal / Mount Currie Nat. Res. / 30°28'22"S / 29°24'35"E / 4/1/2001 ’, ‘ A. Armstrong & T. Ndlovu / NCS Record ID: 162186 / Grassland’ .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Restricted to South Africa, this is a KwaZulu-Natal endemic ( Fig. 91 ), being collected from high altitude areas. Adults fly during the midsummer months of December and January (Table 1). Label data and personal experience indicate that the species inhabits rank vegetation and grassland adjacent to indigenous forest.

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 72–75. Synolcus ukhahlamba sp. n., holotype male genitalia (Monk’s Cowl): (72) lateral, (73) dorsal, (74) ventral, (75) gonocoxite and gonostylus. 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.91.The distributionsSynolcus species:S.amnoni Londt,1990 – squares,S.griseusEngel,1927 – circles, S. spinosus Londt, 1980 – triangles, S. ukhahlamba sp. n. – diamonds.