Astochia africana (Ricardo, 1919)

Londt, Jason G. H., 1982, Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 7. The genus Astochia Becker, 1913 (Asilinae: Asilini), ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 25 (1), pp. 241-251 : 243-245

Astochia africana (Ricardo, 1919) figs 2-6

Neoitamus africanus Ricardo, 1919: 73 ; Oldroyd 1939: 38-9; Hull, 1962: 557; Oldroyd 1970: 313.

Astochia africana ; Oldroyd, 1980: 336.

Redescription: Based on lectotype ♀, unless otherwise stated.

Head: Antennae black with black bristles and setae (Uganda ♂); lectotype has both antennae broken off beyond segment 2. Mystax entirely black (other material including specimens from Ruwenzori and Malawi have a number of yellowish bristles just above epistomal margin). Occipital bristles (behind ocellarium) short, black and not proclinate. Proboscis black with white setae ventrally. Palpi black with black setae.

Thorax: Mesepimeral setae black; hypopleural setae mostly black but a few white ventrally. Mesonotal setae: dorsocentrals black, weak (especially those anterior of the transverse suture); humerals-fine, longish black setae only; presuturals-2 black; supra-alars- 2 black; postalars- 2 black; scutellars- 7 black marginal bristles (other specimens may have as few as 2). Metanotal callosities with black setae. Wings: 13,2 X 4,0 mm (length measured from humeral crossvein to tip; breadth through the fork of the radial sector); venation and microtrichial distribution as in Fig. 2 . Legs: forecoxa with white (and a few black) setae anteriorly; hind-coxa with a single yellow or black bristle laterally. Femora dark red-brown to black with red-brown tips. Tibiae orange-brown. Tarsi darker than tibiae and with terminal tarsomeres dark red-brown. Setation of hind-femur: bristles black; longer setae black or white; minor setae yellowish (dorsal and proximal) or black (ventral and distal).

Abdomen: Tl-5 pruinose as thorax, T6 (and more distally) shiny black; sterna as terga. Ovipositor ( Fig. 3 ) long and narrow. Terga with longish black setae anterolaterally, other setae shortish yellow. Sterna with longish, black and yellow setae. 0" genitalia (Uganda specimen drawn) as in Figs 4-6 .

Material examined: KENYA: 3 ♀, lectotype and paralectotypes, Edge of forest on S. & E. slopes of Mt Kenya, 6 000- 7 000 ft, 3 -12.ii. 1911, S. A. Neave ( BM) ; 1 ♂ 2 ♀, 5-7 miles into Kenia Forest, near Luche R. 9 -1 10.ii.1911, T. J. Anderson ( BM) . UGANDA: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Ruwenzori range, Namwamba Valley , 6500 ft, xii. 1934 - i.1935, B.M. E. Afr. Exp., F. W. Edwards ( BM) . MALAWI: 1 ♀, Mulanje Mnt., Likabula River Valley, riverine Brachystegia woodland, 2S- 30.xi.19 S0, Stuckenberg & Londt ( NM) ; 2 ♂ 4♀, Ntchisi forest reserve, 1 500 m, montane forest and woodland, 3 -4.xii.19 S0, Londt & Stuckenberg ( NM) .

Other recorded material: Oldroyd (1970) records the following. ZAIRE: 1 ♀, Stanleyville, Mahagi-Niarembe , x. 1935, Ch. Scops ; 1 ♀; Kivu, Kisenyi, ii. 192S, Ch. Seydel ; 1 ♀, Muturak, 3.ii.1933, Van Sacaghem . RUANDA: 1 ♂, Kisenyi , 1 SOO m, 18.xi.1961, A. Bertrand. These specimens are apparently housed in KMT .

Remarks: Ricardo examined three female specimens and while she referred to one as the type it is uncertain which of the three she was referring to. J hereby designate and label one of the three specimens as lectotype. The other two are to be considered as paralectotypes. This large species, active from October- February ( Table 1 ), is easily distinguished from the other four species. Adults are found in forests and along their margins.

Figures

Figs 2-6. Astochia africana (Ricardo). 2. Wing (Ruwenzori d') ca. 15 mm. 3. Female ovipositor (Lectotype-Mt. Kenya). 4-6. Male genitalia (Ruwenzori). 4. Lateral. 5. Dorsal aspect of clasper. 6. Ventral aspect, with claspers excluded.

Tables

TABLE 1 The seasonal incidence of species of Astochia as determined from existing label data.

Species				Months (starting with July)
	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ	JASoNDJFMAMJ
africana				•	•	•	•	•
armata						•		•	•
neavensis				•
sodalis	•
strachani		•	•			•			•	•