Dasophrys androclea (Walker 1849)

Londt, Jason G. H., 2020, A survey of grassland Asilidae (Diptera) at Jacana Eco Estate, Hilton, South Africa, African Invertebrates 61 (1), pp. 29-48 : 29

8. Dasophrys androclea (Walker 1849)

Remarks.

Afrotropical Dasophrys Loew, 1858 were revised by Londt (1981), with androclea being recorded from a number of localities in KwaZulu-Natal, including the Pietermaritzburg area where it is usually encountered in indigenous forest situations, as well as suburbia. A single specimen was collected during a grassland survey conducted at Queen Elizabeth Park ( Londt 2002b) and so its occurrence at Jacana Eco Estate was not entirely unexpected.

A single adult male of this species was collected in week 11 of the Jacana survey.

Londt (1981) records the species as having been encountered during every month of the year except for August and September. Records and personal experience, suggest that the species is usually associated with woodland habitats, as well as suburban gardens in Pietermaritzburg. Its occurrence in the Jacana grassland is viewed as fortuitous as the species would probably best be placed in Londt’s (1994) ecological category 5a (tips of shrubs and bushes) or 6a (within trees).

Table 4 provides a comparison of flight periods with those recorded for Queen Elizabeth Park ( Londt 2002b). While the single adult collected at Jacana was found in week 11, the species was recorded in week 18 at Queen Elizabeth Park, also based on a single specimen.