Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952

Dikow, Torsten, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the genus Lasiocnemus (Loew, 1851) (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Entomology 15 (1), pp. 57-74 : 66-68

Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952 ,

Figs 2 , 13 , 19 , 23

Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952: 5 , 7; Hull 1962: 309; Oldroyd 1980: 357.

Diagnosis

The species is distinguished from congeners by the entirely brown-stained wing, the few microtrichia in the discal cell, the entirely black setae on the metathoracic femora and tibiae, and the presence of only short setae on the dorsal surface of the metathoracic tibiae.

Description

Head. Black; face brown pruinose, facial swelling indistinct, mystax black with few white setae laterally, 8–12 macrosetae; proboscis and palpi black, setae black; occiput grey pruinose, setae black; Antennae, scape brown, black setae dorsally and ventrally, apruinose; pedicel brown, brown setae dorsally and ventrally, grey pruinose; postpedicel brown, grey pruinose; stylus brown, about two-thirds length of postpedicel; apical ‘seta-like’ sensory element brown.

Thorax. Black, anepisternum and dorsal half of katepisternum and anepimeron grey pruinose, remaining parts brown pruinose, anepisternum and katepisternum setae brown; scutum black, red anterolaterally and anteromedially, predominantly apruinose, margins grey pruinose, surface covered with white setae, white and black setae on pruinose part; macrosetae: black, one notopleural seta, one supra-alar seta; scutellum grey pruinose, discal scutellar and scutellar setae long, black. Legs, brown; coxa brown pruinose; prothoracic and mesothoracic femora with erect black setae anteriorly and dorsally, metathoracic femora with erect black setae on all surfaces which are longest posteriorly, clubbed and widest sub-distally; tibiae with erect black setae on all surfaces, prothoracic and mesothoracic tibiae with fewer setae dorsally, metathoracic tibiae with these setae longest in proximal two-thirds ventrally, setae short dorsally, prothoracic tibiae with yellow cleaning setae in distal half ventrally, metathoracic tibiae with yellow setae distally; tarsomeres with black setae, first metathoracic tarsomere with yellow setae posteroventrally; empodium three-quarters length of claw. Wings, length = 9.5–10.5 mm; cell d with only few microtrichia, wing nearly uniformly brown stained, wing pattern Fig. 13 ; haltere brown.

Abdomen. Black; T2–5 brown pruinose anteriorly and grey pruinose posteriorly, T6–8 bluish-grey pruinose, T 2 in proximal half with only few brown setae laterally, remaining T with short white setae, S 2 in proximal half apruinose and in distal half brown pruinose, S3–4 brown pruinose, S5–8 black or bluish-grey pruinose. Male terminalia as in Fig. 2 . Female terminalia as in Fig. 19 .

Type material. The male lectotype, here designated to preserve taxonomic stability, is labelled ‘Ruo V [Ruo Valley] Nyasaland 5.III.1913 S. A. Neave (handwritten except for ‘Nyasaland’, ‘191’, and ‘S. A.Neave’)/Sammlung F. Hermann/1/E. Janssens det. 1951 Lasiocnemus Hermanni ♂ E. Janssens (handwritten except for ‘E. Janssens det. 19’)/ LECTOTYPE Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952 by T. Dikow 2004 (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (right wing broken, thorax cracked), ( ZSMC).

The male paralectotype is labelled ‘[same data as holotype except for ‘ 4. III 1913 ’]/E. Janssens det. 1952 ♂ Lasiocnemus Hermanni Jans (handwritten except for ‘E. Janssens det. 19’)/ PARALECTOTYPE Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952 by T. Dikow 2004 (yellow label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (abdomen broken, but attached to specimens pin on a piece of cardboard; male terminalia attached in genitalia vials), ( ZSMC).

A female paralectotype is labelled ‘[same data as male paralectotype]/(red rectangular label)/Brit. O. Africa Lasiocnemus affinis Type Herm (handwritten; pink label)/ Lasiocnemus affinis Hrm. ♀ det. E.O. Engel (handwritten except for ‘det. E.O. Engel’; black submarginal border)/PARALECTO- TYPE Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952 by T. Dikow 2004 (yellow label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (left prothoracic and mesothoracic legs broken), ( ZSMC).

Another female paralectotype is labelled ‘Mlanje Nyasaland 28.II.1913 S. A. Neave (handwritten except for ‘Nyasaland’, ‘191’ and ‘S. A.Neave’)/ Sammlung F. Hermann/(red rectangular label)/ Brit. O. Africa Lasiocnemus violacea Type Herm (handwritten; pink label)/ Lasiocnemus violacea Hrm. ♀ det. E.O. Engel (handwritten except for ‘det. E.O. Engel’; black submarginal border)/ PARALECTOTYPE Lasiocnemus hermanni Janssens, 1952 by T. Dikow 2004 (yellow label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (metathoracic tarsi broken), ( ZSMC).

Additional material examined. MALAWI: 1? between Fort Mangoche and Chikala Boma, 14°27’S 35°29’E, 20–25.iii. 1910, 1219 m; 1? Blantyre, 15°47’S 35°00’E, –.–.1914; 2♂ 2? Mount Mulanje, 15°57’S 35°37’E, 28.ii.1913; 1? Mount Mulanje, 20.ii.1914; 1♀ Mount Mulanje, 28.ii.1913 (paralectotype); 1♂ Ruo Valley, 15°53’59”S 35°39’00”E, 5.iii.1913 (lectotype); 1♂ Ruo Valley, 4.iii.1913 (paralectotype); 1♀ Ruo Valley, 4.iii.1913 (paralectotype); 1? Ruo Valley, 6.iii.1913; 1♀ 2♂ 1? Ruo Valley, 4.iii.1913; 1♀ 1? Ruo Valley, 5.iii.1913; 1♀ 1♂ Ruo Valley, 7.iii. 1913, 671 m; 1♂ Lingadje, 2.iii.1915; 1♀ 1♂ 4? no exact locality, 10–18.iii.1913; 1♂ no exact locality, 14.ii.1913; MOZAMBIQUE: 1? Kola Valley, 17°02’S 35°11’E, 6.iv.1913; TANZANIA: 1♂ Kilossa, 06°49’S 36°58’E, 4.v.1966; 1♂ Unzungwa National Park, 08°20’S 35°58’E, 20.vi.1995; ZAMBIA: 1♀ Chipata (= Ft. Jameson), 62 km SW, 14°18’S 32°15’E, 1.iii. 1958, 1150 m. Depositories: AMNH, BMNH, CAS, MRAC, NMSA, ZSMC.

Type locality, distribution and biodiversity hotspot ( Fig. 23 ): Malawi, Ruo Valley, 15°53’S 35°39’E. Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia. Eastern Afromontane.

Figures

Fig. 23. Map of sub-Saharan Africa with biodiversity hotspots, shaded in grey, showing distribution of Lasiocnemus griseicinctipes (■), La. hermanni (▲), La. lugens (●) and La. obscuripennis (★). Type localities with open symbols.

Figs 1 – 4. Male terminalia of species of Lasiocnemus in lateral view. 1, La. fascipennis; 2, La. hermanni; 3, La. hyalipennis; 4, La. obscuripennis. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs 11 – 16. Wings of species of Lasiocnemus. 11, La. fascipennis; 12, La. griseicinctipes; 13, La. hermanni; 14, La. hyalipennis; 15, La. londti; 16, La. lugens. Scale bars = 4.0 mm.

Figs 17 – 22. Female spermathecae of species of Lasiocnemus in lateral view. 17, La. fascipennis; 18, La. griseicinctipes; 19, La. hermanni; 20, La. hyalipennis; 21, La. londti; 22, La. lugens. Note: second lateral spermathecal duct and reservoir, in lateral view situated ventral to median reservoir, omitted. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.