Daspletis hermanni ( Ricardo, 1925 )

Londt, Jason G. H., 2010, A review of Daspletis Loew, 1858 with the addition of a remarkable South African species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 51 (1), pp. 183-183 : 190-191

Daspletis hermanni ( Ricardo, 1925)

Fig. 13

Microstylum hermanni: Ricardo 1925: 249 .

Daspletis salicior Oldroyd, 1974: 37 .

Daspletis hermanni: Londt 1983: 288 , figs 6–10.

Londt (1983) recorded material: SOUTH AFRICA:1ơ Nelspoort , Hopetown [29°37'S: 24°05'E], 19.ix.1940, Van Son ( NMSA) ; 1ơ 1^(lectotype & paralectotype), Willowmore [33°17'S: 23°29'E], 25.x.1916, Brauns ( BMNH) ; 3ơ 5^[not 2ơ 6^as recorded in 1983] Willowmore , 20.x.1921, Brauns [includes ơ holotype and 2^paratypes of salicior ] ( NMSA) .

New material (all NMSA): SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ N Cape Spitskop Nat. Res., 28°22'10"S: 21°10'01"E, 30.viii.2002, Londt, 870 m, sandy area; 1ơ 30 km S Kimberley , 2924DC, 18.ix.1982, Schoeman; 1^18 km E Sutherland ( Observatory ), 3020BD, 1700 m, rocky hillside bush, 18.xi.1986, Quickelberge & Londt; 1ơ Britstown, 3023DA, 30.x.1981, Schoeman; 2^40 km SE Calvinia, Middelpos Rd , 3120 CA, 1240 m, dry woody scrubland, 17.xi.1986, Londt & Quickelberge; 2ơ 3^31 km S Loxton, 3122CB, 1540 m, flat sandy scrubland, 13.xi.1986, Londt & Quickelberge; 4ơ 5^Molteno Pass, 35 km NW Beaufort West , 3222AB, 1500 m, low hilltop macchia, 11.xi.1986, Londt & Quickelberge; 2ơ 2^3 km W Cradock, 32°10'02"S: 25°40'09"E, 956 m, Acacia scrubland with many wild flowers, 29.x.2004, Londt ; 17ơ 23^Willowmore [33°17'S: 23°29'E], various dates as follows: x.1916 (4ơ 1^), 10.x.1916 (2ơ 1^), 1.xi.1916 (2ơ 1^), xi.1916 (3^), 25.x.1916 (1ơ same data as types), 10.xi.1916 (1ơ 2^), 1.xi.1917 (1ơ 3^), 12.x.1920 (3ơ), 18.x.1920 (1ơ), 20.x.1920 (1^), 25.x.1920 (1ơ 5^), 27.x.1920 (1^), 1.xi.1920 (1^), 25.x.1921 (3^), [no date] (1ơ 1^), Brauns.

Other records: Ricardo (1925), when listing her material, mentions a female from Kimberley [28°45'S: 24°46'E]. I have not seen this specimen, which Ricardo suggests is in the South African Museum , Cape Town , but accept the record for distributional purposes .

Remarks: On rechecking the Natal Museum’s holdings of Microstylum I found, under the name M. floccosum Hermann , a long series (17ơ 23^) of hermanni from Willowmore, all collected by Dr Brauns. These are listed above and it will be noted that 1ơ carries the same label data as the lectotype and paralectotype, housed in the BMNH. There is also 1^with the same label data as the 3ơ and 5^previously listed by Londt (1983). Hermann did not describe a Microstylum with the name floccosum and so this is at best a manuscript name without standing. Of further interest is the fact that, together with these newly discovered hermanni specimens, were 5ơ and 5^specimens that do not represent hermanni , but appear to truly represent a species of Microstylum that is very similar in general appearance to hermanni . The identity of these specimens will only become known after the publication of a much needed modern revision of Microstylum . Distribution, phenology and biology: D. hermanni is fairly widely distributed within the central region of South Africa ( Fig. 13 ), occurring in both the Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces. The species is active in the adult phase from August through to November (Table 1). NMSA prey records include (sex of predator in brackets): Hymenoptera (2): Sphecidae , Ammophila sp. (ơ); Apidae , Apis mellifera (^). Araneae (1): Salticidae (^).

Figures

Fig. 13. The distribution of Daspletis Loew, 1858 species in southern Africa: hermanni (circles), lykos (squares), placodes (triangles), stenoura (diamonds).