Pterobates Bezzi, 1924

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 : 206

Pterobates Bezzi

Pterobates Bezzi, 1921 a: 130 [1922 a: 85; 1924: 273] (as subgenus of Exoprosopa Macquart ). Type species:

Anthrax apicalis Wiedemann, 1821 , by monotypy.

Comments: Pterobates spp. have a striking appearance and are readily recognised by the iridescent black scales on the body, almost entirely infuscated wings, and long scales on the hind legs, which give them a feathered appearance. The species are also distinguished by having predominantly dark, blackish colouring.

Keys: Palaearctic, Engel (1932 –7), Paramonov (1928), both as Exoprosopa .

Hosts: There are single records from a pompilid cocoon, a lepidopteran and a myrmeleontid ( Yeates & Greathead 1997).

Distribution: Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. North Africa: Egypt: 2 species; Pterobates chalybaeus (von Röder) , P. chrysogaster (Bezzi) . Africa South of the Sahara: Southern Africa: 1 species; P. apicalis (Wiedemann) .