Leptogaster (Lasiocnemus) obscuripennis Loew,

Dikow, Torsten, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the genus Lasiocnemus (Loew, 1851) (Diptera: Asilidae: Leptogastrinae), African Entomology 15 (1), pp. 57-74 : 72-73

Leptogaster (Lasiocnemus) obscuripennis Loew,

1851: 2.

Lasiocnemus obscuripennis Loew 1858: 354 ; Loew 1860: 106; Curran, 1928: 329; Janssens 1952: 5; Hull 1962: 308, 309; Oldroyd 1980: 357.

Diagnosis

The species is distinguished from congeners by densely arranged microtrichia in the discal cell, the yellow longitudinal stripe on the prothoracic tibiae, and the predominantly yellow setae on head and thorax.

Description

Head. Black; face silver pruinose, facial swelling indistinct, mystax white, many macrosetae; proboscis and palpi black, setae black; occiput grey pruinose, setae white or yellow. Antennae, scape brown, brown setae ventrally, apruinose; pedicel brown, brown setae dorsally and ventrally, grey pruinose; postpedicel brown, grey pruinose; stylus brown, slightly longer than 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 yellow; scutum black, predominantly apr uinose, margins grey pruinose, surface covered with yellow setae, yellow setae on pruinose part laterally and yellow and brown setae posteriorly; macrosetae: black, one notopleural seta, one supra-alar seta; scutellum grey pruinose, discal scutellar and scutellar setae long, brown. Legs, brown; coxa brown pruinose; prothoracic and mesothoracic femora with erect yellow setae anteriorly and dorsally, metathoracic femora with erect brown setae on all surfaces but yellow proximo-anteriorly and proximo-dorsally, clubbed and widest sub-distally; tibiae with erect yellow setae on all surfaces, prothoracic tibiae with yellow cleaning setae in distal half ventrally, metathoracic tibiae with brown setae proximally and dorsally, yellow setae distally; tarsomeres with black setae, first metathoracic tarsomere with yellow setae posteroventrally; empodium three-quarters to nearly length of claw. Wings, length = 7.7–9.0 mm; cell d densely covered with microtrichia, wing pattern similar to lugens ( Fig. 16 ), but only cell r1 with white spot in distal part of wing; halter brown.

Abdomen. Black; T only narrowly brown pruinose anteriorly and grey pruinose posteriorly, T 2 in proximal half with long white setae laterally, remaining T with short white setae, S 2 in proximal half apruinose and in distal half grey pruinose, S3–4 brown pruinose. Male terminalia as in Fig. 4 . Female terminalia unknown.

Type material. The male holotype is labelled ‘ Mozambique Inhambana Peters S. (blue label)/ Lasiocn. obscuripennis /9976/(small violet square)/ Coll. H. Loew/ Holotypus (red label)’. The specimen is directly mounted and in good condition (male terminalia attached to specimens pin in genitalia vials), ( ZMHB).

Additional material examined. MOZAMBIQUE: 1♂ Inhambane, 23°51’S 35°29’E (holotype); TANZA- NIA: 1♀ 2♂ Dodoma, 112 km N, 05°11’S 35°45’E, 2.v.1966; 1♀ Dodoma, 13 km N, 06°04’S 35°45’E, 8.v.1966. Depositories: BMNH, ZMHB.

Remarks. La. obscuripennis is the type species of Lasiocnemus and, unfortunately, is only known from a few specimens disjunctly distributed in Mozambique and Tanzania.

Type locality, distribution and biodiversity hotspot ( Fig. 23 ). Mozambique, Inhambane, 23°51’S 35°29’E, Mozambique, Tanzania. Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa.

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 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 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.