Tsacasiella neavei ( Ricardo, 1919 )

Londt, Jason G. H., 2002, Afrotropical Asilinae (Asilidae): A provisional key to genera, with a review of the status of Neomochtherus Osten Sacken, 1878, and descriptions of new genera and species, African Invertebrates 43, pp. 11-92 : 59-60

Tsacasiella neavei ( Ricardo, 1919) .

Heligmoneura neavii Ricardo, 1919: 76–77 .

Neomochtherus neavei ; Hull, 1962: 591; Tsacas, 1969: 26–27.

Tsacasiella neavei ; Lehr, 1996: 73.

Note: neavii is an incorrect spelling of neavei (see below).

Type material: Syntypes: ZAMBIA: 1ơ 1^ [seen], ‘Type’, ‘NE Rhodesia. / Vy [= Valley] of Chambezi. [10 ° 16'S: 33 ° 01'E] / 4,000 ft. / 16.v.1908 (^) 18.v.1908 (ơ) / S.A. Neave’, ‘ Syntype / Heligmoneura / neavei Ricardo / det. J.E. Chainey, 1985’ (BMNH); Syntypes: 1ơ 2^ 1? [not seen], Lualaba River [two sets of co-ordinates available 14 ° 02'S: 27 ° 50'E & 12 ° 46'S: 25 ° 46'E. Note: not ‘Sualaba’ as cited by Ricardo], 2500– 4000 ft, 19.iv.1907, S. E. Neave (BMNH). Syntype: DR CONGO: 1ơ [not seen], Kambove, Katanga (BMNH).

Lectotype designation: Ricardo (1919) did not designate a holotype and so I consider all her material to be syntypes. Should a lectotype desination ever be considered necessary, the male ‘type’ would be the most suitable specimen. While I have not seen Ricardo’s material from Sualaba River, and do not know how many specimens there are, these must also be considered syntypes. At least one of Ricardo’s ‘males from Kambove, Katanga, 4000–5000, 2.4.07, (S. A. Neave)’ (BMNH), also originally a syntype of neavei , is now the holotype of T. instabilis (Tsacas, 1969) . John Chainey (BMNH) has informed me that there is 1ơ syntype of neavei from Kambove in the BMNH. Although this is presently considered a syntype of neavei it is still necessary to determine if this specimen should also to transferred to T. instabilis .

Material examined: Those indicated above as having been seen.

Material not studied: Tsacas (1969) includes ‘ Congo (Kinshasa)’ in his section on geographical distribution. I am, however, unable to confirm this information. T. futilis is also known from Kinshasa and so some confusion may exist .

Type locality: Zambia, Chambesi.

Comments: Ricardo’s (1919) original published spelling of the specific name was neavii . However, all subsequent authors correctly used the spelling neavei . No new specimens were found during the study.