Afroholopogon uranopia, Londt, 2005

Londt, Jason G. H., 2005, A review of afrotropical Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 with the description of a new genus and new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 46 (1937), pp. 203-252 : 225-226

Afroholopogon uranopia sp. n.

Figs 3 , 51–53 , 78

Etymology: Gr. ouranos (heaven, sky) and opia (pertaining to sight). Refers to the shape of the eyes which appear to be tilted toward the sky.

Description: Based on holotype.

Head: Antenna: Black, fine silver pruinose, brown macrosetae (few) and fine white setae; segmental formula 1.0:1.0:2.9:0.3:1.1; antennal sockets set low on head (i.e. they lie below an imaginary line connecting widest points across head in anterior view). Face black, apruinose except for narrow silver pruinose lateral strips, mystax white, extending over ventral half of face (dorsal part asetose). Face width:head width ratio 1.0:6.0 (i.e. face narrow). Eyes appearing to be tilted backwards ( Fig. 3 , ơ from GraaffReinet). Frons and vertex black, mostly shiny apruinose, white setose. Occiput black, silver pruinose, white setose. Proboscis red-brown, white setose. Palpi dark red-brown, white setose.

Thorax: Mesonotum black, shiny apruinose except for narrow silver lateral margin and narrow band from posterior margin to just anterior of transverse suture. Setation: ac – few fine white; dc – few fine white; npl – 2 dark brown; sa – 1 long yellow-white; pa – 2 weak yellow-white. Scutellum black, largely shiny apruinose but with weakly silver pruinose anterior margin, disc asetose, margin with approx. 20 thin white setae. Pleura black, silver pruinose except for apruinose areas on anepisternum, katepisternum and meron. Wing 2.9 x 1.1 mm, transparent, microtrichia largely absent, basal angle of r 4 19°. Halter dark brown with yellow-white knob. Legs: cx black, silver pruinose, white setose; trochanters dark red-brown; fem dark red-brown with orange-brown distal tips, white setose; tib orange-brown with red-brown distal ends, white setose; tar red-brown, white and black.

Abdomen: Terga black, shiny apruinose except for silver lateral margins, setae tiny black and longer white. Sterna dark red-brown, silver pruinose except for a triangular area on each segment, white setose. Genitalia: ơ holotype not dissected and macerated, topotypic paratype ơ illustrated ( Figs 51–53 ): Hypopygium unrotated; epand (in dorsal view) elongate, distal margin concave and broadly bilobed; proc well developed and projecting well beyond epand; goncx externally distally bilobed and projecting (in lateral view) beyond levels attained by epand and hypd. Aedeagus elongate, downward curved and projecting beyond all other structures; hypd (in lateral view), short, gradually tapering (in ventral view) to broadly truncate distal margin.

Variation: Individual variation within sexes is minimal. Some sexual dimorphism is evident in that mesonotal and abdominal pruinescence of females is much more extensive, of complex arrangement and mainly golden in appearance. Female eyes are not as obviously anterodorsally flattened as seen in males.

Type specimens: SOUTH AFRICA: ơ holotype, 9 ơ 8^ paratypes, ‘ S Africa: Eastern Cape / GraaffReinet 760 m / Urquhart Caravan Park / 32°14'16''S 24°31'42''E / 26–28.x.2004 J&A Londt / Succulent rocky slopes’ (1ơ 1^ BMNH); 1ơ 2^ paratypes, ‘ Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Karoo Nature Reserve / West of Graaff Reinet / 32°14'S 24°29'E 900 m / J&H Londt Rocky slope / Savannah 7–8.xii.1989 ’; 1^ paratype, ‘ Sth Africa: Cape Prov / Graaff-Reinet / Urquhart Park Caravan / Park 4–6.xii.1988 / 32°15'S 24°33'E / J G H Londt Riverine / veget. Sandy ground’ .

Distribution (Table 1), phenology (Table 2) and biology: Found only in the GraaffReinet area of Eastern Cape ( Fig. 78 ). The species flies from October to December (no records for November). All specimens were found resting on large smooth boulders on east-facing slopes.

Similar species: A. dasys and pardosoros (see discussion).

Figures

Figs 1–6. (1) Diagrammatic representation of how the basal angle of the fourth radial cell (r 4) was measured; (2) Afroholopogon fugax (Loew, 1858), entire male,Akkerendam Nature Reserve;(3) Afroholopogon uranopia sp. n., male head, paratype, Graaff-Reinet; (4) Afroholopogon vumba (Oldroyd, 1974), wing, holotype; (5) Ischiolobos holcocephaloides (Lindner, 1955), left metacoxa, Mkuzi male, showing anterior peg-like process; (6) Ischiolobos mesotopos sp. n., entire male, holotype.

Figs 45–57. Afroholopogon species, male genitalia: (45–47) A. peregrinus (Engel, 1929), topotype, Willowmore: (45) lateral, (46) dorsal, (47) ventral; (48–50) A. tanystylos sp. n., paratype, 5 km E Augrabies Falls National Park’s main gate: (48) lateral, (49) dorsal, (50) ventral; (51–53) A. uranopia sp. n., paratype, Graaff-Reinet: (51) lateral, (52) dorsal, (53) ventral; (54–57) A. vumba (Oldroyd, 1974), paratype, N Vumba: (54) lateral, (55) dorsal, (56) ventral, (57) hypandrium in flatter view. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 78. Southern African distribution of Afroholopogon Londt, 1994 species:aspros – closed circle, capensis – open circle, pardosoros – closed square, tanystylos – open square, uranopia – closed triangle, xeros – open triangle.