Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977

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 : 197-198

Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977

Figs 1 , 2 , 34

Nannolaphria niger Londt, 1977: 48 ; Oldroyd 1980 (as nigra ): 1218.

Previous records: The following type specimens were listed by Londt (1977). All specimens are in NMSA except for 3 pairs deposited in BMNH, MNHN and USNM respectively.

SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ holotype , 1♂ 3♀ paratypes, Natal , Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush [29°33'03"S 30°20'20"E, c. 970 m], forest margin, 26.xi.1976, J. G. H. Londt ; 5♂ 14♀ paratypes.same data but 7.xii.1976 ; 3♂ 3♀ paratypes, Pietermaritzburg. Town Bush, 18.xii.1961 (1♂ 2♀), 27.xii.1961 (1♂ 2 ♀), 21.xi.1962 (1♂), B. & P. Stuckenberg . 1♀ paratype, Port St Johns [31°37'08"S 29°30'56"E, c. 170 m], 22–25.xi.1961, B. & P. Stuckenberg .

New records: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ ‘R. S.A.: KZ-Natal #56 / Lekkerwater Farm / 29°00'S 29°24'E 1470 m / Date: 18.xii.1996 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / In grotto near farm’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 2♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Karkloof Nature Res / 29°18'10"S 30°13'40"E, / 1260 m 10.xii.1987 / J & H Londt Mixed / Podocarpus For. Edge’ ( NMSA) ; 4♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Karkloof [29°19'23"S 30°14'18"E, c. 1155 m] 2930AB / Coll. JGH Londt / Date 22.xii.1982 ’ ( NMSA) ; 2♀ ‘ South Africa KZN / Fort Nottingham Nature / Reserve 1525m / 29°24'44"S 29°55'00"E, / J & A Londt 5.ii.2011 / Podocarpus Forest area’ ( NMSA) ; 2♂ 3♀ ‘ South Africa KZN / Pietermaritzburg 916m / Queen Elizabeth Park / 29°34'06"S 30°19'15"E, / J.G.H. Londt 19.xii.2012 / Forest clearing sun spot’ ( NMSA) ; 4♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Pietermaritzburg / 2930 Cb 24.xi.1977 / J.G.H. Londt / Town Bush [29°33'03"S 30°20'20"E, c. 970 m]’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 2♀ same data but 28.xi.1978 ( NMSA) ; 2♂ 6♀ same data but 7.xii.1978 [2 pinned with prey items] ( NMSA) ; 1♀ same data but 14.xii.1978 [pinned with prey item] ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 3♀ same data but 20.xi.1978 [all pinned with prey items] ( NMSA) ; 1♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Town Bush Forest Res / 2930CB D. Barraclough / Date 10 Feb. 1983 ’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 3♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Ferncliffe Forest Res [= Town Bush] / 29°33'00"S 30°20’30"E, / 975m A. Seymour / Mistbelt Mixed Forest / Date 23.xi.1987 ’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 3♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Ferncliffe Forest Res / 29°33'00"S 30°20’30"E, / 975m A. Seymour / Mistbelt Mixed Forest / Date 23.xi.1987 ’ ( NMSA) ; 1♀ ‘ South Africa : Natal / Ferncliffe Nature Res / nr Pietermaritzburg / 29°33'S 30°20'E 1020 m / Date: 16.xii.1996 / Coll: J & A Londt / Forest margin’ ( NMSA) ; 1♀ ‘ South Africa: KZ-Natal #58 / Ferncliffe / 29°33'S 30°20'E / Indig. For. 9.i.1990 / A.E. Whittington’ ( NMSA) ; 1♂ 13♀ ‘ S Africa KwaZulu-Natal / Marutswa Forest Reserve / 29°48'29"S 29°47'04"E, J & A Londt 23.i.2015 / 1455m Podocarpus forest’ ( NMSA) .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Recorded from a relatively small region extending from the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province (Lekkerwater Farm) to the coast of the Eastern Cape Province (Port St. Johns) ( Fig. 34 ). Collected only during the warmer summer months, November–February ( Table. 1 ).All specimens were collected in low vegetation in sunny patches under a forest canopy ( Fig. 2 ) or along the margins of indigenous forest. Prey items include small alate insects of the following groups: Diptera ( Ceratopogonidae , Scatopsidae ), Hemiptera ( Aleyrodidae , Aphididae , Cicadellidae ), Hymenoptera ( Cynipidae , Formicidae ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977, ♂ Pietermaritzburg.

Fig. 2. Nannolaphria nigra Londt, 1977, habitat at Marutswa Forest Reserve, Bulwer, South Africa.

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 (▲).