Damalis andron Walker

Young, Charles L. & Hradský, Milan M., 2008, Robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of South Korea. Parts VI – VIII. South Korean species of the Subfamilies Dasypogoninae, Dioctriinae and Trigonomiminae, Zootaxa 1876, pp. 1-18 : 12-14

Damalis andron Walker

( Figs 17–22 )

Damalis andron Walker, 1849: 480 .

Xenomyza andron Oldroyd, 1972: 255 .

Small to medium sized, dark flies, 12–15 mm. Damalis andron is easily distinguished from Damalis vitripennis by the hind femur, and darkened wings (see key above). Our South Korean Damalis andron agrees with Walker’s (1849) original description except for the female abdominal color that seems to be highly variable throughout the species (see Variation below).

Adult. Male.

Head. Face black and gold micropubescent, medially concave. Mystax with 4 stout black bristles. Antennal segments 1 & 2 black with black hair, set deeply in pits; arista black at base, distally yellow, apex white. Genae with gold micropubescence. Vertex integumental and micropubescent black with posterior sparse black hair. Thorax black covered in yellow/gold micropubescence with yellow and black hair. Pleura covered in yellow/gold micropubescence except for bare black patches on dorsal anepisternum and katepisternum. Scutum black micropubescent with broad median stripe surrounded by yellow/gold micropubescence. Postpronotum black, tinged orange/yellow. Row of sparse, fine yellow presutural hair; postalar wall with row of long, fine, yellow hair. Long, black, posterior acrostical hair present. Scutellum black with yellow/gold micropubescence, margin with sparse, fine, yellow and black hair. Legs yellow, tinged black apically and dorsally; black hair and bristles present. Hind femur with black band medially, apex yellow; 2 rows of stout ventral black spines. Hind coxa with long black bristles. Wings tinged black anteriorly and medially; fine microtrichia present. Abdomen: Strongly clavate (club shaped); yellow with black apical bands and short yellow and black hair. Tergite 1 medially dark yellow, apex black with white apical hair. Tergite 2 long, constricted medially, with black spot anteriorly, yellow medially, black apically. Tergites 3–5 yellow with black apical bands. Tergites 6, 7 black dorsally, yellow laterally. Male genitalia ( Figs 17–21 ) dark yellow. Epandria ( Fig. 20 ) undivided and lobes widely separated. Gonopod ( Fig. 19 ) elongated, slender, hook-shaped at apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 18, 21 ) broad, prominent, widely opened at apex. Hypandrium ( Fig. 18 ) lobed medially.

Female. Larger than males. Abdominal tergites dorsally integumental blue/black with short apical hair. Tergites 5–7 with faint yellow lateral markings. Tergite 8 with long yellow and white hair. Dorsal cercus broad with long, white, stiff hair. None of our South Korean specimens match Walker’s (1849) overall abdominal “bronze” color.

Variation. Males may have more or less dorsal tergite pigmentation; some specimens appear overall black while others appear “bronze” as described by Walker for the female.

Material examined. Chollabuk Province. 4 ɗ, 1 Ψ: 16/VI/2002, Koch’ang, Koch’ang Castle Wall. 3 ɗ, 1 Ψ: 30/VI/1999, Naejangsan N. P., 35°26’34”N / 126°53’06”E. 1 ɗ: 10/VII/2004, Puan-gun, Pyongsanbando N. P., 37°44’57”N / 128°34’19”E.

Kangwon Province. 1 ɗ, 1Ψ: 24/VI/2006, Nam-myon, Hongcheon R. (east), 37°42’40”N, 127°35’26”E.

Kyongsangnam Province. 7 ɗɗ, 4 ΨΨ: 15–30/VI/2003, Mach’on-myon, Chiri Mt. 705m., 35°20’55”N, 127°38’21”E. 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ: Same data except: 11–18/V/2003. 1 ɗ: Same data except: 6–30/VII/2003.

Field notes. Damalis andron forages from the tips of tall grasses and weeds where it hangs in a downward position. Prey: Coleoptera. Also as the prey of Eutolmus koreanus (female). See also the table on prey and seasonality.

Figures

FIGURE 17 – 22. Damalis andron, male genitalia. 17, lateral; 18, ventral; 19, gonopod, ventral; 20, epandrium, dorsal; 21, aedeagus, dorsal; 22, head, anterior.