Anypodetus unicolor Oldroyd, 1974

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 unicolor Oldroyd, 1974

Figs 49-50 , 51

Taxon depository.

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/B5684B4D-55C5-4C70-B695-A8A7BB5FE767;

GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/1664908;

Plazi TreatmentBank ( Londt 2000): https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B39D2F-F045-9D43-FF58-FE06DB8B434D.

Diagnosis.

The species is distinguished from congeners by the presence of apical scutellar macrosetae, the entirely gray pubescent scutellum, and two black medial macrosetae laterally on abdominal tergites 2-5.

Type locality.

South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumu Game Reserve camp, 32 km S (27°08'00"S, 032°15'00"E, -27.13333, 32.25).

Material examined.

Mozambique - Maputo • 1♂ Lourenço-Marqués (= Maputo); 25°57'00"S, 032°34'00"E; Sep. 1913; Junod, H. leg.; NHMUK013445839, Paratype, NHMUK • 1♀ same data; NHMUK013445840, Paratype, NHMUK .

South Africa - KwaZulu-Natal • 1♂ Kosi Bay ; 26°58'00"S, 032°48'00"E; 10-11 Feb. 1990; Eardley, C. leg.; SANC • 1♀ Kosi Bay Estuary; 26°54'00"S, 032°52'00"E; 16-19 Mar. 1982; Barraclough, D. leg.; indigenous bush area; NMSA-DIP-009038, NMSA • 1♀ Kosi Bay Nature Reserve ; 26°54'00"S, 032°52'00"E; 30 Oct.-02 Nov. 1982; Londt, Jason, Barraclough, D., Stuckenberg, Brian leg.; forest + open woodland areas; NMSA-DIP-097048, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097049, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097050, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097052, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097053, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097054, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097055, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097056, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097057, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097058, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-009035, NMSA • 1♂ Makaheli Forest , 5 km NE Mangusi; 26°58'00"S, 032°45'00"E; 30-02 Nov. 1982; Barraclough, D., Londt, Jason, Stuckenberg, Brian leg.; forest; NMSA-DIP-097059, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097060, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097061, NMSA • 1♀ Makana, 5 km E, near Ndumu Game Reserve ; 03 Dec. 1982; Londt, Jason, Barraclough, D. leg.; roadside; NMSA-DIP-024271, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-009039, NMSA • 1♂ Mseleni ; 27°22'00"S, 032°31'00"E; 29 Nov. 1982; Stuckenberg, Brian, Barraclough, D., Londt, Jason leg.; woodland, sandy area; NMSA-DIP-024271, NMSA • 1♂ Ndumu Game Reserve ; 26°52'00"S, 032°15'00"E; 26 Oct. 1972; Irwin, M.E. leg.; NMSA-DIP-009030, NMSA • 1♂ Ndumu Game Reserve camp, 32 km S; 27°08'00"S, 032°15'00"E; 98 m a.s.l.; 29 Nov. 1971; Irwin, M.E., Irwin, B.J. leg.; dry scrub forest; NMSA-DIP-73586, Holotype, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-009023, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-073586, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097159, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097160, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097161, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097162, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097163, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097164, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097165, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097166, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097167, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NMSA-DIP-097168, NMSA • 1♂ same data; NHMUK013445842, Paratype, NHMUK • 1♀ Ndumu Reserve ; 26°52'00"S, 032°15'00"E; 28 Nov. 1961; Oatley, T. leg.; NMSA-DIP-009029, NMSA • 1♀ Ndumu Reserve ; 26°52'00"S, 032°15'00"E; 01-10 Dec. 1963; Stuckenberg, Brian, Stuckenberg, P. leg.; NMSA-DIP-097158, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-009018, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097156, NMSA • 1♀ same data; NMSA-DIP-097157, NMSA .

South Africa - Limpopo • 1♀ Kruger National Park, Lanner Gorge ; 22°27'00"S, 031°08'00"E; 23 Jan. 1985; Mansell, M. leg.; SANC • 1♀ Pietersburg (= Polokwane), Naawpoort ; 23°54'00"S, 029°27'00"E; 27 Nov. 1927; van Son, G. leg.; NMSA-DIP-009031, NMSA .

Zimbabwe - Masvingo • 1♀ Devuli Ranch ; 20°08'00"S, 032°06'12"E; 13 Feb. 1971; NMSA-DIP-009017, Paratype, NMSA .

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

Known only from eastern South Africa, southern Mozambique, and south-eastern Zimbabwe (Fig. 51 ). A moderately commonly observed and collected species known from 44 specimens from 15 collecting events between 1913-1990 (Table 2 ). The species occurs in but is not endemic to the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot. Adult flies are active from spring to late summer (September-March) (Table 3 ). Londt (2000) reports one prey record: Diptera : Chironomidae .

Remarks.

A. unicolor was originally described from eastern-most South Africa, adjacent Mozambique, Zimbabwe, another South African locality (Nauwport interpreted to be 'Pietersburg (= Polokwane), Naawpoort’ by Londt (2000)) in north-eastern South Africa, and Namibia. The paratypes from Namibia, deposited in the NHMUK, were studied through photographs and it became clear that they are not representing the same taxon as the holotype from Ndumu Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, but belong to the widespread species A. fasciatus and are listed under that species. Therefore, this species is restricted to eastern South Africa, southern Mozambique, and south-eastern Zimbabwe.

Key to species of Anypodetus

An online, illustrated version of the below dichotomous key is available at https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v4/anypodetus_dichotomous. The male terminalia illustrations included in Londt (2000) can be helpful as well but the identification below does not rely on those structures as other features can be utilized to distinguish all species.

1	set of 2 black medial macrosetae laterally on abdominal T2-5 (Fig. 49 )	A. unicolor
-	only 1 yellow or black medial macroseta laterally on abdominal T2-5 (Fig. 36 )	2
2	scutellum apubescent; long apical scutellar macrosetae present; pleura and scutum predominantly apubescent (Fig. 34 )	A. leucothrix
-	scutellum entirely pubescent; apical scutellar macrosetae absent (setae at distal scutellum tip at most as long as discal scutellar setae); pleura and scutum entirely pubescent (Figs 18 )	3
3	frons with 3-4 short, yellow (sometimes light brown) proclinate macrosetae laterally (Figs 26-27 ); wings in anterior ½ brown stained with white transverse bands (Figs 25 , 29 )	A. fascipennis
-	frons with only 1 (sometimes 2) long, black or yellow proclinate macroseta laterally (Figs 20-21 ); wings not patterned (either brown throughout or +/- unstained, Figs 19 , 47 )	4
4	mystax (in males and females) medially with regular brown to black macrosetae, laterally with white, tightly packed, dorso-ventrally flattened setae (Fig. 48 )	A. phalaros
-	mystax (in males and females) without distinct vertical setal coloration pattern (e.g., Figs 14-15 , 20-21 , 38 )	5
5	mystax (in females and males) with only regular, circular setae (Figs 20-21 )	7
-	mystax in males with white, tightly packed, dorso-ventrally flattened setae at least in dorsal ½ of face (Fig. 15 ), in females with circular setae only and restricted to ventral ½ of face (Fig. 14 , female of A. londti sp. nov. unknown)	6
6	mystax in males with very long white, tightly packed, dorso-ventrally flattened macrosetae on entire face, reaching tip of circular long black ventral mystacal macrosetae (Figs 36 , 38 )	A. londti sp. nov.
-	mystax in males with short white, tightly packed, dorso-ventrally flattened macrosetae in dorsal ½ of face, circular black mystacal macrosetae in ventral ½ of face much longer than white ones (Figs 15 , 17 )	A. arachnoides
7	wings uniformly brown stained (additionally, covered with dense microtrichia) (Figs 43 , 45 ); restricted to southern Mozambique and adjacent eastern-most South Africa (Fig. 52 )	A. nigrifacies
-	wings unstained (Figs 19 , 39 , microtrichia absent or present); restricted to western parts of southern Africa (Figs 51 , 52 , western Zimbabwe and northern South Africa westward)	8
8	postpedicel apically narrowing (appearing as an elongate stylus, Figs 39 , 40 )	A. macroceros
-	postpedicel regular, +/- cylindrical throughout (Figs 12 , 16 )	A. fasciatus

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.

Figure 52. Map of southern Africa with elevational relief and biodiversity hotspots (sensu Conservation International in gray) and distribution of A. fasciatus, A. fascipennis, A. macroceros, A. nigrifacies, and A. phalaros (SimpleMappr https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20267). Distribution and occurrence data available in Google Earth KML file https: // www. simplemappr. net / map / 20267. kml.

Figures 49, 50. A. unicolor 49 ♂ paratype (NHMUK 013445842), lateral 50 same, dorsal. Photographs by NHMUK staff, copyright Natural History Museum London.

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

Figures 30 - 35. A. leucothrix 30 ♀ (USNMENT 01384040), lateral 31 same, dorsal 32 same, head anterior 33 ♂ (USNMENT 01519504), head anterior 34 same, lateral 35 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.

Figures 18 - 23. A. fasciatus 18 ♀ (USNMENT 01518045), lateral 19 same, dorsal 20 same, head anterior 21 ♂ (USNMENT 01518051), head anterior 22 same, lateral 23 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.

Figures 24 - 29. A. fascipennis 24 ♀ (USNMENT 01115204), lateral 25 same, dorsal 26 same, head anterior 27 ♂ (USNMENT 01115113), head anterior 28 same, lateral 29 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.

Figures 46 - 48. A. phalaros 46 ♂ holotype (NMSA-DIP- 073587), lateral 47 same, dorsal 48 same, head anterior. Photographs by NMSA staff, copyright KwaZulu-Natal Museum.

Figures 12 - 17. A. arachnoides 12 ♀ (USNMENT 00870120), lateral 13 same, dorsal 14 same, head anterior 15 ♂ (USNMENT 00870117), head anterior 16 same, lateral 17 same, dorsal. Scale bars: 5 mm, red arrow = vein M 2 and M 3 alignment.

Figures 42 - 45. A. nigrifacies 42 ♀ paralectotype (NHMUK 013445835), lateral 43 same, dorsal 44 ♂ lectotype (NHMUK 013445836), lateral 45 same, dorsal. Photographs by NHMUK staff, copyright Natural History Museum London.

Figures 39 - 41. A. macroceros 39 ♂ holotype (NMSA-DIP- 009021), lateral 40 same, dorsal 41 same, head anterior. Photographs by NMSA staff, copyright KwaZulu-Natal Museum.