Synolcus spinosus Londt, 1980

Londt, Jason G. H., 2012, The genus Synolcus Loew, 1858, with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 661-661 : 691-693

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5733/afin.053.0206
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7917775
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4D5087F7-7515-FFB5-FE1C-8190FE005F6B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Synolcus spinosus Londt, 1980
status

Treatment

Synolcus spinosus Londt, 1980 View in CoL

Figs 13 View Figs 2–14 , 67–71 View Figs 67–71 , 85 View Figs 76–86 , 91 View Fig

Synolcus spinosus: Londt 1980: 37–38 View in CoL , figs 7 (wing), 31–33 (♂ gen.), 34 (♀ gen.); 1990: 2.

Redescription:

Male.

Head: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose, white, pale-yellow and black setose. Antenna: Dark redbrown to blackish, fine silvergray pruinose, scape and pedicel black setose, postpedicel with few yellowish setae dorsally; mean segmental ratios (n =2) 1:0.8:1.7:1.1 (0.1:0.9:0.1), i.e. pedicel shorter than scape, postpedicel more than 1.5 times length of scape, stylus about as long as scape. Face: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly gold-silver pruinose. Mystax black dorsally, pale yellowish ventrally (and ventrolaterally), setae slightly better developed ventrally. Frons and vertex: Blackish, strongly silver and red-gold pruinose, black setose (including ocellar setae). Occiput: Blackish, strongly silver pruinose, black (dorsally and centrally) and white (centrally and ventrally) setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver, gold-silver and dark red-brown pruinose, black and pale yellowish setose. Prothorax: Dark red-brown to blackish, gold-silver pruinose, pale-yellow setose except for dark red-brown macrosetae. Mesonotum: Dark red-brown to blackish, silver to gold-silver pruinose with dark red-brown pruinose median band and lateral patches, macrosetae black, minor setae blackish (mainly anteriorly) and pale yellow-white (mainly posteriorly). Macrosetae: acr and dc moderately developed posterior of transverse suture, dc extending anterior of suture, 2 npl, 2 spal, 3 pal (1 weak). Scutellum: Dark red-brown to blackish, strongly silvery pruinose, disc pale yellow setose, 1 pair black apical macrosetae. Pleura: Dark red-brown to black, silver to gold-silver pruinose, weakly (except ktg) white to pale yellow setose. Legs: Cx dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; cx 3 with 2 lateral macrosetae. Tro dark red-brown, weakly pruinose, pale yellow setose. Fem uniform dark red-brown to black, major setae mixed black and pale yellow, minor setae pale yellow. Tib orange proximally, dark red-brown, distally, major and minor setae black and pale yellow. Tar dark red-brown, major and minor setae mixed black and pale yellow. Wing ( Fig. 13 View Figs 2–14 ): Veins mostly dark red-brown, anterior veins more orange-brown proximally, membrane transparent (slight yellow appearance due to microtrichiae). Cell sc lacking sc–r. Cells r 1 and r 2+3 considerably expanded and displaying corrugations. Wing length ×breadth (mean, n =2) 9.3 (8.0–10.4) × 3.8 (3.2– 4.5) mm. Haltere: Pale brown with darker distal and proximal ends.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to black, strongly silver to gold-silver, pale yellowish setose. T1 fairly uniformly silver pruinose, c. 5 pale yellow macrosetae laterally accompanied by many setae. T2–8 strongly silver pruinose (reflective properties change with angle of view), pale yellowish setose (including c. 3 posteroventral macrosetae). S similar to T. Terminalia ( Figs 67–71 View Figs 67–71 ): Epand in lateral view ( Fig. 67 View Figs 67–71 ) fairly short (a little more than twice as long as deep), with broadly rounded, spinose distal end; epand lobes in dorsal view divergent proximally, becoming closely associated before curving outwards towards inwardly directed distal ends ( Fig. 68 View Figs 67–71 ). S8 unmodified, hind margin fairly straight to slightly medially indented. Hypd fairly well-developed with gently indented posterior margin ( Figs 67, 69 View Figs 67–71 ). Gonst in lateral view as in Fig. 70 View Figs 67–71 . Aed fairly stout with short Ushaped, filamentous tip ( Fig. 71 View Figs 67–71 ).

Female: Essentially similar to male. Wing length × breadth (mean, n=3) 9.3 (8.9–9.6) × 3.5 (3.4–3.8) mm (length and range almost identical to male but breadth narrower due to lack of expansion). Terminalia ( Fig. 85 View Figs 76–86 ): Ovipositor laterally compressed, fairly short (about 1.5 times as long as deep).

Type material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ holotype 2♀ paratypes ‘ Gladdespruit River / Headwaters at Kaapsehoop [25°35'22"S 30°46'12"E] / 2530 DB Transvaal 5000ft [1524m] / 23 Febr 71 Stuckenberg / Grassland & Gallery forest’ GoogleMaps ; 1♂ paratype ‘ Gladdespruit River / Headwaters at Kaapsehoop / 2530 DB Transvaal 5000ft [1524m] / 3 xi 70 Stuckenberg / Grassland & Gallery forest’ .

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ Barberton, 2531CC, 8.xii.1986, Meakin .

Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from two localities in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa ( Fig. 91 View Fig ), and collected in November and December (Table 1) from ‘grassland and gallery forest’. The label data suggest that the species inhabits forest and forest margins.