Exoprosopa enigma Greathead and Evenhuis, 2001

Greathead, D. J. & Evenhuis, N. L., 2001, Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae), African Invertebrates 42 (1820), pp. 105-224 : 199

Exoprosopa enigma Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n.

( Figs 99 , 121–122 )

Material examined: Holotype Ò. NAMIBIA: Etosha Nat. Park , Kaross, 19 ° 23'S 14 ° 32'E, 9–10.v.1987 (J. Irish & E. Marais) . Paratype females. 2^, as holotype; 1Ò, Damaraland, Duineveld 529, SE2014 Dc, 14–16.v.1978 (M. -L. Penrith & S. Louw) H36195. All in NMWN .

Diagnosis: This species bears a strong resemblance to species of Litorhina in body colour, vestiture, venation, and wing pattern. However, it differs in having a conically produced face and relatively short proboscis, and in the consistent presence of supernumerary crossveins that divide cell m 2 into three cells. The shape of the spermathecal bulb is also similar to that of Litorhina spp. , but the size and structure of the male genitalia are closer to species of Exoprosopa .

Description: Holotype Ò. Length of body 13 mm, of wing 14 mm. Head: Orange-brown, except for black markings forming a line between the eyes behind the ocellar triangle, a spot on the underside posterior to the oral cavity and the inside of the occipital concavity. Short hairs on vertex, frons and face black but some yellowish ones intermixed on margin of oral cavity, also short decumbent black hairs on occiput. Margin of occipital concavity with a fringe of pale yellowish hair. Sparse scales on frons and face and a band of scales on the posterior margins of the eyes pale yellowish. Vertex 3 x width of ocellar triangle. Antenna: Scape 2 x length of pedicel, both orange brown and with short black hairs. Flagellum with first flagellomere grey-brown, elongate conical and slightly longer than scape and pedicel combined, second flagellomere yellow, styliform and 1.5 x length of pedicel. Proboscis black, labellae projecting beyond facial cone. Palpi pale yellowish. Thorax: Mesonotum, most of anepisternum and fore part of anepimeron black, remainder of pleura and postpronotal lobes brown and scutellum red-brown. Bristles, black, strongly developed. Short hairs on mesonotum brown and longer hairs at front, along notopleural line and on pleura pale yellowish. Legs: Brown. Bristly hair on coxae, claws and bristles black. Wing ( Fig. 99 ): Veins and costal hook brown, costal comb black. Terminal segment of R 2+3 strongly S-shaped, cell r 5 closed and with a stalk, M 2 bent towards apex of wing so that cell m 2 is more than twice width of cell m 1 at margin, and cell m 2 divided into three by crossveins (to give 6 posterior cells). With a striking Litorhina -like brown infuscation which at its apical margin completely fills cell r 1 and extends into apex of cell r 2+3 at its anterior margin, runs straight to hind margin at end of M 2. Clear area in middle of discal cell extends to hind margin, also with clear spots in cells br and bm and along vein MA. Squama brown with a white fringe. Halter brown with an ivory knob. Abdomen: Red-brown with median black triangular spots at fore margins of terga 1–6; short black hairs on terga 2–7; first tergum, sides of terga 2–6 and hind margin of 7 with whitish hair. Sterna with whitish hair. Male genitalia ( Fig. 121 ): Epandrium with black hair and gonocoxae with red-brown hair. Gonocoxae relatively large, with a line of weakness in the middle and a row of strong spines distal to it. Epiphallus large and curve ventrally. All apodemes large and robust.

Paratype ^. As male but head brown, black areas on abdominal terga more extensive reaching sides of abdomen; vertex 5 x width of ocellar triangle. Spermatheca ( Fig. 122 ) with terminal bulb elongate.

Figures

Figs 95–99. Bombyliidae wings. 95. Heteralonia spoliata (Bezzi). 96. Exoprosopa batrachoides Bezzi. 97. Ligyra atricosta Bezzi (all from Bezzi 1924). 98. Heteralonia azaniae Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n. 99. Exoprosopa enigma Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n.

Figs 119–124. Bombyliidae genitalia. 119. Exoprosopa argentifrons Macquart, male genitalia. a. lateral view. b. ventral view. 120. Micomitra vitripennis (Brunetti), male genitalia. a. lateral view. b. ventral view (all from Hesse 1956). 121. Exoprosopa engima Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n., male genitalia 122. Exoprosopa enigma Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n., female spermatheca. 123. Heteralonia azaniae Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n., male genitalia. 124. Diatropomma annettae Greathead and Evenhuis sp. n., male genitalia.