Daspletis stenoura Londt, 1983

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 : 194

Daspletis stenoura Londt, 1983

Fig. 13

Daspletis stenoura: Londt 1983: 295 , figs 22–24.

Londt (1983) recorded material (all NMSA): SOUTH AFRICA: 4^paratypes, 15 km SE Van Zylsrus, 2622 CC, Acacias /grass/shrubs, 22.iii.1982, Londt & Schoeman; 2ơ paratypes, 55 km W Van Zylsrus, 2721BA, Acacias /dry grass, 22.iii.1982, Londt & Schoeman; 1^paratype , 50 km SW Kuruman , 2723CA, Acacia woodland area, 24.iii.1982, Londt & Schoeman; ơ holotype, 9ơ 2^paratypes [not 3 – 1^differently labelled – see section below], 30 km E Groblershoop , 2822CD, roadside vegetation, 19.iii.1982, Londt & Schoeman; 3ơ 4^paratypes , Padkloof Pass ca 20 km S Witsand, 2822DA, dry river course grass/ Acacias, 17.iii.1982, Londt & Schoeman.

New material (all NMSA): BOTSWANA:1^Takatswane Pan [22°33'30"S: 21°52'00"E], 14.xii.1984, Johnson; 2^50 km NNW Serowe, 2226BA, 19.xi.1984, Forchhammer, Bush day; 1^50 km NNW Serowe, 2226BA, 21.xi.1984, Malaise trap, Forchhammer. SOUTH AFRICA: 2^Bray, Graupner farm guest camp, 25.35545°S: 23.35738°E, 1050 m, Kalahari sandveld, 15.i.2001, Slotow & Hamer; 1^Bray, Graupner farm guest camp, 25.35545°S: 23.35738°E, 1058 m, Kalahari sandveld, 17.i.2001, Slotow & Hamer; 1ơ 4^Molopo Game Reserve, Phiri Camp area, 25°46'43"S: 22°55'53"E, 990 m, Acacia –Eragrostis savannah, 14.iii.2003, Londt; 2ơ 1^Molopo Game Reserve, Phephane R. area, 25°47'26''S 22°51'08''E, 990 m, Acacia – Grewia savannah, 15.iii.2003, Londt; 1ơ 1^Molopo Game Reserve, 25°52'36"S: 22°53'58"E, 990 m, Acacia – Ziziphus savannah, 13.iii.2003, Londt; 2ơ 4^20 km N Hotazel, 27°07'S: 22°59'E, 1050 m, Kuruman R.banks, 14.iii.1991, Whittington & Londt; 1ơ 14 km S Hotazel, 27°19'S: 22°54'E, 1050 m, Ga-Mogara R. bed, 14.iii.1991, Londt & Whittington; 1^paratype [wrongly allocated – see section above], ‘SthAfrica Cape Prov / 12km E. Groblershoop / 2822CC 19.iii.1982 / J. Londt & L. Schoeman / Banks of Orange Riv.’; 2^26 km E Upington, 28°23'S: 21°29'E, 950 m, permanent dunes, 16.iii.1991,Whittington & Londt; 3ơ 4^Witsand Nat.Res., ca 28°32'15"S: 22°30'30"E, 1200 m, red sand Acacia / Grewia grassland, 6.iii.2001, Londt; 2^Witsand Nat.Res., 28°33'29"S: 22°29'36"E, 1230 m, red sand rocky Acacia scrubland, 8.iii.2001, Londt; 2ơ Witsand Nat. Res., ca 28°33'45"S: 22°28'40"E, 1200 m, red sand Acacia grassland area, 5.iii.2001, Londt; 4ơ 6^Witsand Nat. Res., 28°33'54"S: 22°29'39"E, 1200 m, red sand Acacia / Rhigosum scrub, 5–8.iii.2001, Londt; 1ơ 5^Witsand Nat. Res., 28°33'57"S: 22°29'19"E, 1200 m, red sand Acacia / Boscia grassland, 6.iii.2001, Londt;2ơ 3^Witsand Nat.Res., 28°34'49"S: 22°28'43"E, 1200 m, red sand Acacia / Ziziphus grassland, 6.iii.2001, Londt; 1^45 km NE Douglas, 28°56'S: 24°13'E, 1150 m, mixed Acacia woodland, 19.iii.1991, Whittington & Londt; 4ơ 6^4 km SE Groblershoop, 28°57'S: 22°01'E, 900 m, red dune grassland, 18.iii.1991, Londt & Whittington; 2^7 km SW Douglas, 29°07'S: 23°44'E, 1100 m, open Acacia woodland, 19.iii.1991, Londt & Whittington; 2ơ 4^64 km SW Douglas, 29°23'S: 23°20'E, 1070 m, open grassland, 19.iii.1991, Whittington & Londt.

Note: Female specimens not associated with males are difficult to identify and so a few erroneous identifications may have been made.

Distribution, phenology and biology: D. stenoura is fairly widely distributed in the central region of South Africa ( Fig. 13 ), occurring at many places in the northern parts of the Northern Cape Province. Three ^specimens are recorded for Botswana, two from Serowe and one from Takatswane. This species flies at the same time as vulpes and can be found sympatrically. The species is active in the adult phase from November through to March (no records for February) (Table 1). NMSA prey records include (sex of predator in brackets): Diptera (3): Asilidae , Laphystotes ariel (ơ), Laxenecera sp. (^), Sarcophagidae (^). Hemiptera (2): Cicadellidae (^), Lygaeidae (^).

Figures

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