Rhabdogaster rustica Oldroyd, 1974

Londt, Jason G. H., 2006, A review of the Afrotropical genus Rhabdogaster Loew, 1858 with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 47, pp. 243-313 : 281-283

Rhabdogaster rustica Oldroyd, 1974

Figs 98–100 , 131

Rhabdogaster rustica Oldroyd, 1974: 67 (in key), fig. 62 male genitalia; 1980:367 (catalogue). Type locality:

South Africa.

Redescription: Based primarily on holotype ơ.

Head: Black, gold pruinose, yellow setose. Antenna dark red-brown to black, setae yellow. Face entirely pruinose. Mystax entirely yellow, occupying approx. lower twothirds of face. Frons extensively pruinose, vertex entirely apruinose (including ocellar tubercle). Occiput entirely pruinose. Proboscis and palpi dark red-brown, setae yellow. Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, gold pruinose, long yellow setose. Mesonotum extensively pruinose (including much of postpronotal lobe and entire postalar lobe) except for broad anteromedial area and large shiny apruinose lateral areas. Pleura entirely pruinose. Scutellum entirely pruinose (weakly on hind margin), with 4 long, yellow sctl s. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely gold pruinose. Legs: cx dark red-brown, gold pruinose, long yellow setose; troc dark red-brown; fem dark red-brown with orange distal ends (extensive on legs 1 and 2, limited to apex on leg 3), yellow setose; tib orange proximally, dark red-brown distally, predominantly yellow setose (a few black setae ventrodistally); tar dark red-brown, mainly black setose. Wing 5.4 x 1.8 mm, veins orange to brown, membrane transparent, unstained, dark microtrichose. Discal and costal cells entirely microtrichose.

Abdomen: Entirely dark red-brown to black, gold pruinose, yellow setose (short on tergites, long on sternites). Terminalia ( Figs 98–100 , Garden Castle Nat. Res.): epand in lateral view projecting slightly beyond level attained by outer lobe of goncx and longer than hypd, tapering to acute tip; in dorsal view lobes broadly fused proximomedially; hypd in lateral view stout, slightly curved, with upturned distal end with dorsal subapical process; in ventral view somewhat truncate proximally, tapering rapidly to moderately long terminal process with fairly pointed apex. In lateral view external lobe of goncx lies close to epand and has pointed tip; gonst in ventral view fairly straight.

Variation: Little variation evident. Specimens from the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg mountain range tend to have more extensively orange legs (fem 1 and 2 often almost entirely orange); postalar lobes may be largely apruinose; antennal setae and mystax may carry a few dark red-brown setae. Hind margins of posterior tergites may be somewhat shiny apruinose (appearing worn).

Holotype: ơ SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng: ‘Holo- / type [circular, white with red border]’, ‘ Johannesburg [2612S:2805E] / 6,000 ft. 3 1895 / J. P. Cregoe’, ‘ Bought of / W.F.H. Rosenberg’, ‘ C.J.Wainwright / Collection / B.M. 1948–488.’, ‘ Rhopalogaster / rusticus Oldr. / det. H. Oldroyd 1972 / Holotype [white]’ ( BMNH) .

Paratype: 1^same data except labelled ‘Paratype’ ( BMNH) .

Notes: Types mislabelled Rhopalogaster instead of Rhabdogaster . The BMNH is also in possession of 2ơ paratypes from Johannesburg collected by Cregoe in iv.1905, and 2ơ 1^paratypes collected by Wroughton at Willow Grange on 16.iv.1914 (D. Notton pers. comm.); I have not studied this material.

Other material studied: MOZAMBIQUE: 1ơ ‘Moçambique / Namaacha [2558S:3202E] / 19/5/1980 / Coll. H.R. Feijen’. SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: 1^‘ 30km W. L. [Louis] Trichardt / S.E.23 ° 01' 29 ° 44' / Apr. ’78 I.C. Sharp. / Dept. of Entomology / University of Pretoria’; Mpumalanga: 1ơ ‘Pelgrimsrus / SE24.30Da / iv.1979 / D.R. Swart / Dept: of Entomology / University of Pretoria’; 12ơ 9^‘Sth Africa: Transvaal / Bourkes Potholes 60k. N. / Graskop SE2430DB / Date: 14.iv.1985 J. & B. Londt’; 1^‘Sth Africa: Transvaal / Above Berlin Falls N. of / Graskop. Londt. SE2430DD / Date: 14.iv.1985 Riverine veg’; 1ơ 7^‘Sth Africa: Transvaal / Mac Mac Pools area / NE Sabie SE2430DD / 13.iv.1985 J&B Londt / Rocky outcrops / Grass’; 1? ‘Transvaal / Barberton [2547S:3103E] / 15.iv.1974 / F. Zumpt’ (BMNH); Gauteng: 1^‘Pretoria / SE2528Ca / 13.iii.1980 / J.E. Crafford / Dept: of Entomology / University of Pretoria’; 1^‘ RSA Gaut. Pta / 25 ° 48'S – 28 ° 15'E / 8.iv.1996 / D. Prinsloo’; 1ơ ‘Irene / 1. 4. 14 / H. Munro’ (NMNH); Free State: 1ơ ‘Sth Africa: Free State / Bloemfontein 27.iii.2006 / 29 ° 06'S 26 ° 10'E J. Londt / National Botanical Gardens / Mixed long indigenous / grass and stony pathways’; KwaZuluNatal: 24ơ 23^‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / Forest Reserve 1900m / 2829Cc 4–11.iv.1977 / JGH Londt ex Malaise’; 1^‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / Forest Reserve 1900m / 2829Cc 4–11.iv.1977 / JGH Londt’; 3ơ 4^‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / 28–31 May 1981 / R.M. Miller 2829CC / grassland’; 1ơ 1^‘South Africa: Natal / Cathedral Peak area / 2829Cc 7–12 April 1982 / JGH Londt ex Malaise’; 1ơ ‘Indumeni River / Fynbos consocies / 6300 ft. ’, ‘Cathedral Peak / Forestry Reserve / Natal Drakensberg / March 1959 / B.R. & P.J. Stuckenberg’; 2ơ ‘Little Berg Summits / Themeda Grassland / 5500–6000 Ft.’, ‘Cathedral Peak / Forestry Reserve / Natal Drakensberg / March 1959 / B.R. & P.J. Stuckenberg’; 6ơ 6^‘South Africa: Natal / Die Kop 1131m ca 11 km / NE of Kranskop / 28 ° 54'57"S: 30 ° 57'12"E / Grass & Forest Margin / Londt Whittington & / Chinn 17.iv.1990 ’; 1^‘Nyala Res. [2840S:3145E] / Thick grass / 13.v.84’; 10ơ 4^‘South Africa: Natal / Nkandhla Forest Res. / 28 ° 44'35"S: 31 ° 09'00"E / 1000m J.G.H. Londt / Mistbelt Mixed Forest / margins 27.iv.1988 ’; 1ơ ‘South Africa: KZ-Natal / Nkandla FR / 28 ° 44'32"S / 31 ° 8'54"E / 10/4/2001 ’, ‘A. Armstrong & P. Ngwenya / NCS Record ID: 163086 / Grassland’; 5ơ 10^‘South Africa: Natal / Nkandla Forest / 3108E 2843S 25.v.86 / PE Reavell 1200m / Ngongoni / grassveld’; 1ơ 1^‘South Africa: Natal / Nkandla 2831CA / Herb layer 8/4/79 / P. Reavell / Forest’; 1^‘S Africa; KZ-Natal #112 / Estcourt / 29 ° 00'S: 29 ° 52'E / Date: 4.iv.1994 / Coll: Patrick Butler / Shooting range’; 1^‘South Africa; Natal / Drakensberg, White Mountain Resort [2906S:2936E] / 20.iv.1981, T. Grout’; 1ơ 1^‘ RSA: KZ-Natal #13 / Injasuti Nature Res. / 29 ° 12'S: 29 ° 22'E 1800m / date: 27.iii.1994 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt’; 1ơ ‘ RSA: KZ-Natal #14 / Injasuti Nature Res. / 29 ° 12'S: 29 ° 22'E 1500m / date: 29.iii.1994 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt’; 11ơ 6^‘South Africa: Natal / Loteni Nature Res. / 2929BC J. & B. Londt / 28.iii.–3.iv.1986 / Campsite/Grassveld’; 1^‘South Africa: Natal / Boston [2940S:2958E] / 26 March 1986 / J.G.H. Londt’; 1ơ 2^‘R.S.A.: KZ-Natal #5 / Garden Castle Nat. Res. / 29 ° 44'S: 29 ° 14'E 1740m / Date: 17.ii.1996 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Thukelana River. 3 Pools’; 1^‘S Africa: KZ-Natal #24 / Castleburn, Drakensberg / 29 ° 45'06.5"S: 29 ° 17'54.4"E / Date: 11– 16.iv.1998 / Coll: Londt, J.G.H. / Alt: 1770m / Grassveld’; 1^‘R.S.A.: KZ-Natal #7 / Garden Castle Nat. Res. / 29 ° 45'S: 29 ° 11'E 2000m / Date: 18.ii.1996 / Coll: J.G.H. Londt / Mashai River banks grass’; 1^‘South Africa; Natal / The Start Stud Farm / 20 km NE Howick 2930AD / J Londt 10.iv.1986 / Scrub/grass nr stream’; 1ơ ‘South Africa: Natal / Krantzkop The Kop / 2930BB 8.iv.1986 / J. Londt Grassveld & / forest margins’; 1^‘South Africa, Natal / Karkloof [2918S:3004E] 9.iv.1989 / Grassland sweep nr. / Clivia forest Stn.’, ‘A.E. Whittington’; 1ơ 2^‘So. Africa: Univ. Natal, / Ukulinga Res. Frm, 10 km / SE Pietermaritzburg [2937S:3023E] / May 1980 grassland / RM Miller sweep’; 8ơ 7^‘Sth Africa: KZ-Natal / Garden Castle Nat. Res. / 29 ° 45'S: 30 ° 15'E 1800m / 28–29.iv.2001 JGH Londt / Hillside grass and rocks’; 2ơ ‘South Africa: KZ-Natal / Ntumeni Nature Reserve / 29 ° 53'S: 31 ° 23'E [incorrect corordinates] / 700m 10.iv.1999 ’; 6ơ 7^‘Sth Africa: KZ-Natal / Vernon Crookes Nat Res / 30 ° 16'51"S: 30 ° 35'44"E / J.G.H. Londt 30.iv.2003 / 450m Mixed grassland’; Eastern Cape: 2^‘Hogsback [3235S:2657E] / Amatola Mts, C.P.’ ~ ‘R. F. Lawrence / Feb. 1933 ’ (SAMC). SWAZILAND: 3ơ 2^‘Swaziland / Malolotia Wilderness Area / 26 ° 07'S: 31 ° 06'E 1530m / Date: 7.iv.1997 / Coll: P.E. Reavell / Montane grassland’.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2, Fig. 131 ): Recorded from Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland. A fairly widely distributed species within summer rainfall areas. Collected during February and May. Three prey records are available at the NMSA: 1ơ (Araneida, undetermined), 1ơ ( Hemiptera , Cicadellidae ), 1^( Diptera , Phoridae ).

Similar species: R. eremia sp. n., pedion sp. n. and quasinuda sp. n.

Figures

Figs 92–103. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (92–94) R. pulverulentus (Loew, 1858), Stellenbosch: (92) lateral, (93) dorsal, (94) ventral; (95–97) R. quasinuda sp. n., Rawsonville holotype: (95) lateral, (96) dorsal, (97) ventral; (98–100) R. rustica Oldroyd, 1974, Garden Castle Nat. Res.: (98) lateral, (99) dorsal, (100) ventral; (101–103) R. sinis sp. n., Olifantshoek paratype: (101) lateral, (102) dorsal, (103) ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 131. Distribution of Rhabdogaster rustica Oldroyd, 1974.