Rhabdogaster cuthbertsoni, Londt, 2006

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 : 253-254

Rhabdogaster cuthbertsoni sp. n.

Figs 18–20

Etymology: Named after Alexander Cuthbertson, whose collecting activities and interest in Asilidae greatly added to our understanding of the robber flies of Zimbabwe.

Description: Based on holotype ơ.

Head: Black, gold-silver pruinose, white and black setose. Antenna dark red-brown to black, setae black. Face pruinose except for pair of small spots centrally. Mystax entirely white, occupying lower half of face. Frons and vertex entirely pruinose (including ocellar tubercle). Occiput entirely pruinose. Proboscis and palpi red-brown, setae white.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, silver and gold pruinose, white and black setose. Mesonotum extensively pruinose except for pair of narrow anteromedial stripes (broad anteriorly), 2 moderately large spots on either side of transverse suture, tiny spots on parts of postpronotal and postalar lobes, tiny spot anterior of postalar lobe, setae long, mostly black (except for pale yellow notopleurals). Pleura pruinose except for moderately sized spot on katepisternum. Scutellum entirely pruinose, with 2 long black sctl s accompanied by 2 minor setae. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely silver pruinose. Legs: cx dark red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose; troc dark red-brown; fem 1 and 2 brown-yellow with dark red-brown anterior surfaces, white setose, fem 3 entirely dark red-brown, white setose except for row of approx. 8 black ventral macrosetae; tib similar to fem, predominantly white setose (a few black setae distally); tar dark red-brown, white and black setose. Wing 5.4 x 1.7 mm, veins brown, membrane transparent, unstained, almost entirely microtrichose. Discal cell entirely microtrichose, costal cell entirely lacking microtrichia.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose, white and dark red-brown setose. Tergites with apruinose mediodistal parts, setae dark red-brown on apruinose parts, white on pruinose parts. Sternites entirely pruinose, moderately long white setose. Terminalia ( Figs 18–20 ), generally reminiscent of type-species ( nuda ): epand in lateral view gradually tapering to rounded tips; lobes fairly broadly fused medially; hypd in lateral view shorter than epand and external lobe of goncx, slightly upcurved distally, with dorsal subapical ridge (hypd laterally flattened subapically); broad basally in ventral view, tapering in two stages to moderately long mediodistal lobe. External lobe of goncx slightly shorter than epand, tapering to fairly sharp apex; well-sclerotised internal lobes with bilobed tip and projecting beyond external lobe. Gonostyli in ventral view thick basally, slightly curved.

Holotype: ơ ZIMBABWE: ‘ Salisbury [Harare 1750S:2103E], Rh. [Rhodesia = Zimbabwe] / II.1915. / leg. O’Neil. ’.

Paratypes: 2^same data as holotype.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2): Recorded only from the Zimbabwean type locality. Collected in February.

Similar species: Distinctive.

Figures

Figs 18–30. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (18–20) R. cuthbertsoni sp. n., Salisbury holotype: (18) lateral, (19) dorsal, (20) ventral; (21–23) R. eremia sp. n., Noachabib paratype: (21) lateral, (22) dorsal, (23). ventral; (24–26) R. etheira sp. n., Port Nolloth paratype:(24) lateral, (25) dorsal, (26) ventral; (27–30) R. flavida (Lindner, 1973), Ongeama holotype: (27) lateral, (28) dorsal, (29) ventral, (30) hypandrium ‘flatter’ view. Scale bars = 1 mm.