Rhabdogaster flavida ( Lindner, 1973 ) Londt, 2006

Londt, Jason G. H., 2006, A review of the Afrotropical genus Rhabdogaster Loew, 1858 with descriptions of new species (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), African Invertebrates 47, pp. 243-313 : 256-257

Rhabdogaster flavida ( Lindner, 1973) , comb. n.

Figs 27–30

Heteropogon flavidus Lindner, 1973: 77 ; Oldroyd 1974: 44 (footnote mention only); 1980: 362 (catalogue).

Type locality: Namibia (Ongeama).

Afroholopogon flavidus: Londt 1994 a: 64 .

Redescription: Based primarily on holotype, but, as it is somewhat greasy, also on the topotypic paratype ơ.

Head: Dark red-brown and orange, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow-white setose. Antenna: Scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel and style dark red-brown, setae pale yellow-white. Face orange with dark red-brown central spot, entirely pruinose. Mystax entirely pale yellow-white, occupying lower half of face. Frons and vertex dark red-brown, entirely fine pruinose (including orange ocellar tubercle). Occiput dark redbrown with orange area posterior of ocellar tubercle, entirely pruinose. Proboscis orangebrown, but slightly darker dorsally, pale yellow-white setose. Palpi orange, setae pale yellow-white.

Thorax: Dark red-brown and orange, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow-white setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown centrally, orange laterally, pruinose except for dark redbrown areas centrally, postpronotal and postalar lobes. Pleura patchy orange and dark red-brown, pruinose except for central spot on both an- and katepisternum. Scutellum pruinose except for narrow hind margin, 2 yellow major sctl s accompanied by approx. 10 tiny setae. Postmetacoxal bridge entirely silver pruinose. Legs: cx brown-yellow, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow-white setose; troc, fem, tib and tar brown-yellow, pale yellow-white setose (a few black setae ventrodistally on tib and ventrally on tar). Wing 5.8 x 2.1 mm, veins orange-brown, membrane transparent, unstained, extensively microtrichose distally. Discal cell with microtrichia absent proximally, costal cell entirely lacking microtrichia.

Abdomen: Brown yellow with dark red-brown areas, gold-silver pruinose, pale yellowwhite setose. Tergites brown-yellow with dark red-brown areas anterolaterally, pruinescence confined to brown-yellow areas. Sternites brown-yellow except for small redbrown area medioproximally, entirely pruinose.Terminalia ( Figs 27– 30 holotype): epand in lateral view shorter than hypd, gradually tapering to fairly acutely-pointed tips; lobes separated medially, but touching basally; hypd in lateral view slightly longer than epand, slightly upcurved distally, with small dorsal swelling subapically; broadly-rounded basally in ventral view, tapering to broadly-rounded apex. External lobe of goncx long, projecting beyond levels achieved by other genital structures, terminating in a broadlyrounded apex; well-sclerotised internal lobes short and hidden by external lobes in lateral view. Gonostyli in ventral view thick in basal half, slightly curved, ptojecting beyond level attained by inner lobe of goncx.

Variation: Paratype ơ agrees with holotype but is slightly smaller (wing length 5.5 mm) and in poor condition (right wing broken off near base). The Aus male has slightly different terminalia (in lateral view apex of hypandrium not bilobed and external lobe of gonocoxite shorter) and may represent a separate species.

Holotype: ơ NAMIBIA: ‘Ongeama [1715S:1225E] SWA / 23. – 28.1.1970 / Lindner leg.’, ‘ Heteropogon / Sp. 2 / det. H. Oldroyd 1970 ’, ‘ Heteropogon / flavidus Lind. / Lindner det.’ [white, black border].

Paratype: NAMIBIA: 1ơ same data as holotype .

Notes: The holotype is labelled ‘Typus / Lindner / 1973’ [red ink, date sideways], while the paratype is labelled ‘ ParaTypus / Lindner / 1973’ ( SMNS).Although Lindner (1973) did not indicate that the two males listed were types, they are clearly labelled and so I accept their status as holo- and paratype respectively .

Other material studied: NAMIBIA: 1^‘S. W. Africa (34); / Regenstein, 15 mls., / SSW. Windhoek, [2234S:1705E] / 8.ii.1972 ’, ‘Southern / African Exp. / B.M. 1972-1.’ (BMNH); 1ơ ‘Aus [2640S:1616E], S.W.A. / 22 April, 1933 / G. van Son’.

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1, 2): Recorded from three fairly widely separated localities in Namibia. Collected in January, February and April.

Similar species: Distinctive, but somewhat similar to maculipennis .

Figures

Figs 18–30. Rhabdogaster species, male terminalia: (18–20) R. cuthbertsoni sp. n., Salisbury holotype: (18) lateral, (19) dorsal, (20) ventral; (21–23) R. eremia sp. n., Noachabib paratype: (21) lateral, (22) dorsal, (23). ventral; (24–26) R. etheira sp. n., Port Nolloth paratype:(24) lateral, (25) dorsal, (26) ventral; (27–30) R. flavida (Lindner, 1973), Ongeama holotype: (27) lateral, (28) dorsal, (29) ventral, (30) hypandrium ‘flatter’ view. Scale bars = 1 mm.