Anypodetus londti, Dikow & Dubus, 2023

Dikow, Torsten & Dubus, Meliah, 2023, A review of the assassin-fly genus Anypodetus Hermann, 1907 with the description of a new species (Insecta, Diptera, Asilidae), African Invertebrates 64 (2), pp. 165-206 : 165

Anypodetus londti sp. nov.

Figs 36-38 , 51

Diagnosis.

The species is distinguished from congeners by the male mystax with very long white, tightly packed, dorso-ventrally flattened macrosetae, and the long black medial macrosetae on abdominal tergites 2-6.

Etymology.

The species is named after Jason G.H. Londt in celebrating his career with the present Festschrift in the year of his 80th birthday. Jason is, without doubt, the most knowledgeable Afrotropical Asilidae taxonomist, present and past.

Description.

Female. Unknown.

Male. Head: wider than high, black; vertex sharply depressed (90° angle on lateral margin of compound eyes); facial swelling indistinct, only ventral margin slightly developed, silver pubescent; mystax white, long dorso-ventrally flattened setae, only epistomal margin with long, black, circular macrosetae, extending over entire face, short, reaching tip of proboscis; ommatidia of different size, at least some median ommatidia distinctly larger; postgena posterior margin simple, smooth; frons (at level of antennal insertion) more or less parallel-sided, gray pubescent, laterally short white setose with single long black macroseta; ocellar tubercle gray pubescent, white setose, 2 long black macrosetae; vertex gray pubescent, white setose; median occipital sclerite (m ocp scl) long white setose; postocular (pocl) setae straight, long black macrosetae; occiput predominantly gray pubescent, white setose; compound eye posterior margin (in lateral view) straight or slightly curved throughout.

Proboscis and maxillary palpus: proboscis straight, dark brown; postmentum plate-like, straight, ventral margin entirely smooth, white setose ventrally; prementum circular, with dorso-median flange, asetose; labella reduced, fused to prementum only ventrally, only forming distal tip of proboscis, apically rounded, yellowish setose; maxillary palpus brown, two-segmented, white setose, cylindrical; stipites fused entirely medially, apubescent, long white setose.

Antenna: light brown to brown, lightly gray pubescent; scape approximately as long as pedicel, short black setose dorsally and long black macrosetose ventrally, macrosetae very long, reaching tip of postpedicel; pedicel short black setose ventrally, long black setose laterally; postpedicel medially broadest, long, approximately 2 × as long as scape and pedicel combined, asetose; stylus comprised of 1 element, 0.25 × as long as postpedicel, asetose; apical seta-like sensory element situated apically in cavity on stylus.

Thorax: dark brown; prosternum gray pubescent, fused to proepisternum, broad prosternum; proepisternum gray pubescent, long white setose; cervical sclerite long yellowish setose; antepronotum gray pubescent, long yellowish setose with long yellowish macrosetose medially; postpronotum gray pubescent, long white setose; postpronotal lobe gray pubescent, short white setose, single black macroseta; pleuron gray pubescent; proepimeron gray pubescent, long white setose anteriorly; anepisternum gray pubescent in dorsal ½, brown pubescent in ventral ½, long white setose dorsally, supero-posteriorly white setose (not macrosetose); anterior basalare asetose, posterior basalare asetose; anepimeron predominantly brown pubescent, asetose; katepisternum gray pubescent, asetose; katepimeron gray pubescent, asetose; katatergite gray pubescent, long black macrosetose; meron + metanepisternum gray pubescent, predominantly asetose, long brown setose posteriorly; metakatepisternum gray pubescent, asetose; metepimeron gray pubescent, asetose; anatergite gray pubescent, asetose; scutum anteriorly narrowly gray pubescent, laterally broadly gray pubescent, medially predominantly brown pubescent, scutum setation: anteriorly and laterally short white setose, remainder short brown setose, setae with small sockets, 1 npl seta, 2 spa setae, 2 pal setae, dc setae absent, acr setae absent, median posterior scutum (between dc setae) short brown setose, setae directed posteriorly; scutellum gray pubescent, ds sctl setae present, short brown setae, ap sctl setae absent; postmetacoxal area entirely membranous.

Leg: brown to dark brown, apubescent, all setae circular in cross section; pro coxa dark brown, gray pubescent, long white setose, long black macrosetose distally; pro femur dark brown, short brown setose dorsally, short white setose ventrally, black macrosetose: 3-4 in 1 antero-proximal row, 1 macroseta dorso-distally; pro tibia dark brown, short brown setose, black macrosetose: 3 in 1 dorsal row, 4 in 1 posterior row, 4 long in 1 postero-ventral row, 1 macroseta and 3 long setae in antero-ventral row, distal tip with 5 long black macrosetae; mes coxa dark brown, gray pubescent, white setose, black macrosetose distally; mes femur dark brown, short brown setose dorsally, short white setose ventrally, black macrosetose: 2-3 in 1 antero-proximal row, 1 macroseta antero-distally, 1 macroseta dorso-distally, 1 macroseta postero-distally; mes tibia dark brown, short brown setose, black macrosetose: 3 long in 1 antero-dorsal row, 3-4 long in dorsal row, 3 long in 1 antero-ventral row, 3-4 long in 1 ventral row, distal tip with 7 long black macrosetae; met coxa dark brown, gray pubescent, white setose, anteriorly without any protuberance; met trochanter white setose, 1 black macroseta, cylindrical, medially without any protuberance; met femur dark brown, short brown setose, black macrosetose: 4-5 long in 1 antero-ventral row, 5 long in 1 dorsal row distally, 2 long 1 ventral row proximally; met tibia dark brown, straight, short brown setose, black macrosetose: 3 long in 1 dorsal row, 4 long in anterior row, distal tip with 8 long black macrosetae; proximal pro, mes, and met tarsomeres as long as following 2 tarsomeres combined, proximal met tarsomere as wide as following tarsomeres; pro tarsomeres short brown setose, long black macrosetose laterally and dorso-laterally; mes tarsomeres short brown setose, long black macrosetose laterally and dorso-laterally; met tarsomeres short brown setose, long black macrosetose laterally and dorso-laterally; pulvilli absent; claw fairly straight throughout, pointed; empodium setiform, well-developed (as long as claw).

Wing: 4.6-5.6 mm, hyaline, evenly microtrichose; C circumambient (developed around entire wing), anterior wing margin in males straight; R2+3 distally relatively straight, r1 closed, R1 and R2+3 meet apically and form a stalk vein (petiolate); R4 terminating anterior to wing apex, distinctly arching anteriorly, stump vein (R3) absent; r4 open, R4 and R5 diverging from each other; R5 terminating posterior to wing apex; r5 open; M1 terminating posterior to wing apex; cell d closed by base of M2, m-m absent (or at least highly reduced), M2 and M3 aligned in a line from anterior to posterior, r-m situated in center; m3 closed and petiolate; cua closed and petiolate; alula well-developed; microtrichia on posterior wing margin arranged in a single plane.

Abdomen: shape compressed, T2-3 distinctly transversely rectangular (length to width ratio> 1:3), dark brown to black, tergites smooth, setae with small sockets only; T1 white and brown setose, laterally with 2-3 long black macrosetae, laterally and posteriorly gray pubescent, medially brown pubescent, entirely sclerotized medially, dorsal surface smooth, without protuberances; T2-8 entirely sclerotized, dark brown, T2-6 laterally and posteriorly gray pubescent, medially brown pubescent, T7-8 apubescent, T2-6 short white setose laterally and posteriorly, short brown setose medially, T7-8 short brown setose, marginal macrosetae absent on T2-7, medial macrosetae present on T2-6, single long black macroseta; S1-8 dark brown, lightly gray pubescent, short brown setose.

Male: T1-T6 and S1-S6 entire, T7-T8 and S7 reduced to ring of sclerites, S8 well-developed; hypopygium dark brown, rotated by 90°, directed posteriorly; epandrium undivided, comprised of single sclerite fused entirely medially; hypandrium reduced, minute triangular sclerite, posterior margin entire, simple (without projections), distinctly separated from epandrium by gonocoxite, not fused to gonocoxite; gonocoxite entirely free from epandrium; gonocoxal apodeme not observable; gonostylus present, positioned medially on gonocoxite; subepandrial sclerite asetose, ventrally smooth (without protuberances), laterally straight (without protuberances), distal margin simple, straight margin; cerci fused medially; phallus long, tip at tip of gonocoxite and gonostyli, 3 phallic prongs, tip pointed, without any protuberance.

Type locality.

Mozambique: Gaza: Massangena (21°32'50"S, 032°57'03"E, -21.54722, 32.95083).

Material examined.

Mozambique - Gaza • 1♂ Massangena ; 21°32'50"S, 032°57'03"E; 01-08 Feb. 1964; Moore, A. leg.; USNMENT01140568, Holotype, USNM.

Zimbabwe - Matabeleland North • 1♂ Victoria Falls ; 17°55'00"S, 025°50'00"E; Dec. 1938; National Museum Southern Rhodesia leg.; NMZ2742, Paratype, NMBZ .

Distribution, biodiversity hotspots, seasonal imago flight activity, and biology.

Known only from two localities in southern Mozambique and north-western Zimbabwe (Fig. 51 ). A rarely collected species known only from two specimens (both males) from two collecting events in 1938 and 1964 (Table 2 ). The species is not known to occur in any currently recognized biodiversity hotspot. Adult flies are active in summer (December and February) (Table 3 ). Nothing is known of the biology.

Remarks.

While the male terminalia illustrations by Londt (2000) have been useful in identifying A. leucothrix , the species-specific features are difficult to describe sufficiently. Because only two male specimens in less-than-ideal conditions are known for A. londti sp. nov., we decided not to dissect a specimen for illustration in order to preserve entire specimens for future study. Photography of these structures was also not possible because of the orientation of the male terminalia and legs etc. to view all angles properly (Fig. 36 ). The male terminalia described above provide general features useful to distinguish species of this genus from other Afrotropical Laphriinae . The ventral terminalia aspect with the number of strong macrosetae distally on the gonocoxite is relatively easily viewable in non-dissected specimens. In A. londti sp. nov. there are 3-5 such strong macrosetae present (see figs 11-33 in Londt 2000).

Figures

Figure 51. Map of southern Africa with elevational relief and biodiversity hotspots (sensu Conservation International in gray) and distribution of A. arachnoides, A. leucothrix, A. londti sp. nov., and A. unicolor (SimpleMappr https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20266). Distribution and occurrence data available in Google Earth KML file https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20266. kml.

Figures 36 - 38. A. londti sp. nov. 36 ♂ holotype (USNMENT 01140568), lateral 37 same, dorsal 38 same, head anterior. Scale bars: 5 mm.