Notiolaphria microtheres, Londt, 2015

Londt, Jason G. H., 2015, Taxonomic observations regarding four genera ofAfrotropical robber flies, Choerades Walker, 1851, Laphria Meigen, 1803, Nannolaphria Londt, 1977 and Notiolaphria Londt, 1977, and the description of Ericomyia gen. n. (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 56 (1), pp. 191-191 : 210-211

Notiolaphria microtheres sp. n.

Figs 7 , 14, 15 , 22 , 35

Etymology: The name is derived from the Greek words mikros (little, small) and therao (hunt, hunter), descriptive of the small size of this predatory fly.

Description: Based on all examined material.A small species with glistening setae and clear sexual dimorphism. The description is based primarily on male specimens, with notes on sexual differences.

Males:

Head: Black, dull silver pruinose, yellow, black and white setose.Antenna: Black, scape with strong yellow macrosetae ventrally and smaller black setae dorsally. Pedicel black setose distally. Segmental ratios (scape as 1) somewhat variable — 1: 0.8–1.0:2.1– 2.5. Style absent, postpedicel tipped with a pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element. Face slightly gibbose ventrally, black, dull silver pruinose. Mystax extensive, with fine, long yellow setae almost entirely overlaid by long, gold (or silver). glistening scale-like setae. Frons black, dull silver pruinescence, fine yellow and black setose adjacent to eye margin. Ocellar tubercle with a pair of long, pale yellow or black macrosetae. Vertex black, dull silver pruinescence. Postocular (occipital) region black, silver pruinose, yellow and black setose dorsally, fine white setose ventrally. Palpi and proboscis dark red-brown to black, white setose.

Thorax: Black, with small areas of silver pruinescence, yellow, black, and white setose. Pronotum black. Mesonotum shiny black, with few areas of fine silver pruinescence (adjacent to postpronotal lobes; lateral and posterior margins; pair of small spots on transverse suture). Acrostichals not evident. Dorsocentrals yellow, poorly developed, extend both anterior and posterior of transverse suture. Mesonotal macrosetae: 1 black npl, 1–2 yellow or black spal, 1–2 yellow or black pal. Scutellum shiny black with at most a narrow silver pruinose anterior margin, disc with many tiny yellow setae, 4–6 moderately long yellow apical macrosetae. Pleura: Black silver pruinose except for parts of anepisternum, katepisternum and anepimeron which are shiny apruinose, black and white setose. Anepisternum with 1 black macroseta (may be accompanied by a weaker yellow seta) posteriorly. Katatergal macrosetae long, fine, white. Anatergites uniformly silver pruinose, asetose.

Legs: Coxae black, silver pruinose, fine white setose.Trochanters shiny black, apruinose, white setose. Femora black, yellow and white setose. Tibiae and tarsi dark red-brown to black, macrosetae black and yellow, fine setae mostly yellowish. Claws black, pulvilli and empodia well developed.

Wings: Holotype 3.7× 1.5 mm, range 3.1–5.6 mm ×1.2–2.0 mm. Veins dark brown, cells r 5, m 3 and cua closed and stalked, membrane unstained, transparent, microtrichia largely absent from proximal half of wing and extensive in distal half ( Fig. 7 ). Halter white with pale yellow-brown base.

Abdomen: Shiny black, apruinose except for terga that have small posterolateral areas of silver pruinescence and sterna that have narrow weakly silver pruinose posterior margins. T1 with 2 laterally situated yellow macrosetae, T2 and T3 with 1 yellow macrosetae, other terga lacking macrosetae. Fine setae short yellow, especially evident on T1–4.

Male terminalia ( Figs 14–15 ): Rotated through 90°. Epandrium as a single shield-like plate, showing no indication of bifurcation distally, but tapering slightly to broad apex. Proctiger jutting out beyond distal end of epandrium, dorsal and ventral lobes of similar development. Gonocoxites somewhat shorter than epandrium, composed of external and internal lobes. External lobe broad proximally (as broad as epandrium in lateral view), tapering gradually to about three-quarters of length before rapidly tapering to narrowly rounded apex in lateral view. Internal lobe laterally compressed, fairly broad at base, jutting out distally well beyond level achieved by external lobe, clearly dorsally hooked terminally. Gonostylus projecting to about the same distance as internal lobe of gonocoxite, laterally compressed, almost parallel-sided for much of length, with pointed apex directed slightly ventrally. Hypandrium, reduced to a subtriangular sclerite, longer than wide in ventral view, less than half length of gonocoxites, with acutely rounded terminal lobe. Aedeagus of moderate length with three terminal prongs.

Females (essentially similar to males except for the following obvious differences): Head with black and white setae only.Antennal scape with black and white setae. Mystax largely confined to gibbosity,with long black macrosetae(few white may be present)together with a pair of clearly dorsolaterally situated groups of short silver scale-like setae. Ocellar macrosetae black.Postocular macrosetae black and white.Mesonotal macrosetae all black. Scutellum with black apical macrosetae. Abdomen generally dark red-brown to black.

Female terminalia: Simple, slightly telescopic, setaceous and lacking spines.

Holotype: MADAGASCAR: ♂ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Prov / Mikea Forest, NW of Manombo / el 30m, 4 – 14 Dec 2003 / 22°53.22'S 43°28.53'E [22°53'13"S 43°28'32"E, c. 30 m]’, CAS / Irwin, Parker, Harin’Hala colls / M.t. transit. For. MA-02-18A-76’ ( CAS).

Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 1♂ same data as holotype but 12 Oct – 12 Nov 2001 MA-02-18A-01’ ( CAS) ; 1♂ same data but 6 – 16 Dec 2001, MA-02-18A-05 ( CAS) ; 1♂ 1♀ same data but 8 – 18 March 2002, MA-02-18A-16 ( NMSA) ; 4♂ 1♀ same data but 8 – 18 April 2002, MA-02-18A-19 ( CAS) ; 1♀ same data but 30 Oct – 14 Nov 2002, MA-02-18A-39 ( CAS) ; 2♂ same data but 6 – 17 March 2003, MA-02-18A-48 ( CAS) ; 1♀ same data but 27 April – 5 May 2003, MA-02-18A-53 ( CAS) ; 1♂ same data but 29 June – 6 July 2003, MA-02-18A-60 ( CAS) ; 2♂ same data but 21 – 31 August 2003, MA-02-18A-66 ( CAS) ; 1♂ 2♀ same data but 21 Sept – 2 Oct 2003, MA-02-18A-69 ( CAS) ; 2♂ 1♀ same data but 12 – 23 Nov 2003, MA-02-18A-74 ( CAS) ; 1♂ ‘ Madagascar, Tulear / Province, Beza Mahafaly / Reserve, Parcelle 1 near / research station / 23 March – 2 April 2002, 23°41.19'S 44°35.46'E [23°41'11"S 44°35'28"E, c. 155 m] / California Acad of Sciences / coll. R. Harin’Hala, malaise / trap in dry deciduous forest / elev 165m, MA-0214A-54’ ( CAS) ; 1♂ same data but 21 – 29 April 2002, MA-0214A-57 ( CAS) ; 1♂ 1♀ same data but 29 April – 19 May 2002, MA-0214A-24 ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 2♀ same data but 20 – 24 December 2002, MA-0214A-45 ( CAS) ; 1♀ same data but 28 June – 7 July 2002, MA-0214A-28 ( CAS) ; 1♀ same data but 20 – 28 October 2002, MA-0214A-35 ( CAS) ; 1♀ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Prov. Beza / Mahafaly Reserve, malaise in dry / deciduous gallery forest / 7 – 14.iii.02 / R. Harin’Hala, M.E. Irwin, 165m / 23°41.19'S 44°35.46'E, MG 14A-19’ ( CAS) ; 1♂ ‘ Madagascar , Tulear Prov. / Andohahela N.P. Tsimelahy / Parc. 11, 9 – 16 Dec 2002, 180m / 24°56.21'S 46°37.60'E [24°56'13"S 46°37'36"E, c. 190 m], CAS / Irwin , Parker , Harin’Hala colls / M.t. transit. For. MA-02-20-16’ ( CAS) .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Distribution as in Fig. 35 , known mainly from the Mikea Forest and Beza Mahafaly Reserve in the generally drier Tulear Province of Madagascar. Habitat described as ‘dry deciduous gallery forest’ and collected at relatively low altitudes (30–190 m). Collected in virtually every month of the year (no records for January or February) ( Table 1 ). No prey records are available.

Figures

Figs 5–10. Notiolaphria species, wings. (5) No. coerulescens (Macquart, 1834) (Mauritius, Roche Bois); (6) No. dimidiatifemur (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, 7km W Ranomafana National Park); (7) No. microtheres sp. n. (Madagascar, Mikea Forest); (8) No. miltothorax sp. n. (Madagascar, 7km E Beroboka, Antsarongaza forest); (9) No. rufitibia (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, Foulpointe); (10) No. stuckenbergi (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar, Zombitse National Park).

Figs 11–15. Notiolaphria male terminalia (note: rotated through 90°). (11, 12) No.coerulescens (Macquart, 1834) (Madagascar, Lambomakakandro):(11) lateral and (12) ventralviews;(13) No.dimidiatifemur (Oldroyd, 1960) (Madagascar,Zombitse Nature Reserve):lateral view; (14, 15) No.microtheres sp.n. (Madagascar, Mikea Forest): (14) lateral and (15) ventral views. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 22. Notiolaphria microtheres sp. n. ♂, (Madagascar, Mikea Forest).

Figs 34–37. (34) Distribution of Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977 (■) and Notiolaphria coerulescens (Macquart, 1834) (●); (35–37) Distributions of Notiolaphria species in Madagascar: (35) No. dimidiatifemur (Oldroyd, 1960) (●), No. microtheres sp. n. (■), No. miltothorax sp. n. (▲); (36) No. rufitibia (Oldroyd, 1960) (●), No.stuckenbergi (Oldroyd) (▲); (37) Ericomyia atomentosa (Oldroyd, 1960) typical specimens (●) atypical specimens (▲).