Laphyctis argenteofasciata (Engel, 1929), comb. n. &

Londt, Jason G. H. & Dikow, Torsten, 2018, A review of the assassin-fly genus Laphyctis Loew, 1858 with descriptions of two new species (Diptera, Asilidae, Laphriinae), African Invertebrates 59 (1), pp. 75-106 : 75-76

Laphyctis argenteofasciata (Engel, 1929), comb. n. & stat. rev. Figs 7-12, 13-16, 17, 23, 56

Laphystia argenteofasciata Engel, 1929: 162 (Fig. 8 antenna).

clausicella Engel, 1929: 162 [unavailable name first published as a synonym of argenteofasciata ].

Laphystia (Laphystiella) argenteofasciata : Hull 1962: 76.

Laphystia argenteofascista (sic): Lindner, 1973: 76.

Laphystia gigantella Loew, 1852: Lindner, 1973: 85.

Laphystia gigantella Loew, 1852: Oldroyd, 1974: 103; 1980: 352.

Taxonomy.

There has been some confusion surrounding Laphystia argenteofasciata Engel, 1929 which was synonymised with Laphystia gigantella Loew, 1852 by Oldroyd (1974) and this synonymy was hinted at by Lindner (1973: 85). Engel (1929) based his description on three female specimens, one from 'Brit. E. Africa, Marstbed’ and two from 'Saw Mills, S. Rhodesia’. We have studied two specimens from Marsabit (Kenya) which are, with little doubt, those seen by Engel. Apart from Engel's, misspelling of Marsabit, one specimen is actually a male. Based on a study of these Kenyan specimens we believe the species to be valid, and so it is here reinstated and allocated to Laphyctis . Engel (1929) did not designate types and so his material from Kenya and Zimbabwe must be considered syntypes. We have not seen Engel's, Zimbabwean specimens from Sawmills, which are unlikely to be conspecific with the Kenyan specimens examined, and so we here designate the Kenyan male as lectotype (unique identifier NHMUK010624209) and the female as paralectotype (NHMUK010624209). Decisions regarding Engel's, Zimbabwean specimens, the repository of which is not known to us, will have to be deferred to a future date. We have contacted staff at the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich (ZSMC), but did not obtain any information. There are two specimens of L. gigantella collected on 26 December 1919 at Sawmills in the BMNH that potentially could represent the specimens listed by Engel. Lindner (1973) recorded two males, identified as this species, from 'Gobabeb. 2. –9.II.1970’ (page 76) and later, in the same paper, three females, identified as gigantella (page 85), from the same collecting event. We have located this material in the SMNS and identified it as L. eremia sp. n. (see below).

Redescription.

Based on all available material. General appearance as in Figs 7-12.

Head: Red-brown, but colour masked by strong gold-silver and silver-gold pruinescence, shiny white and pale yellow to orange setose. Antennae: variable, dark red-brown to orange, fine gold-silver pruinose, especially scape. Scape red-brown or yellowish, strongly pale yellow setose ventrally. Pedicel variable red-brown to orange, only a few small setae distally. Postpedicel orange proximally, red-brown distally, with narrow terminal cup-shaped style, opening somewhat oblique and enclosing a spine-like sensory element. Segmental length ratios = 1: 1.0: 2.3: 0.4. Face orange to dark red-brown, but colour masked by strong gold-silver pruinescence. Width of one eye: face ratio = 1: 1.1 (face slightly wider than width of 1 eye). Face projecting ventrally (Fig. 17), profile slightly convex, epistomal margin smoothly rounded distally (not pointed). Mystacal macrosetae moderately long, yellow to pale orange accompanied by shorter yellow and white setae. Mystax extending onto dorsal half of face. Frons and vertex dark red-brown, colour entirely masked by bright gold-silver pruinescence, fine pale yellow-white setose. Ocellar tubercle fine pale yellow setose (no macrosetae). Postocular (occipital) region dark red-brown, colour entirely masked by gold-silver and silver-gold pruinescence. Occiput with curved rows of c. 8 short, pale yellow macrosetae dorsally and many fine white setae, mostly ventrally. Palpi dark red-brown, 2-segmented, white setose. Proboscis straight, shiny dark red-brown, fine white setose proximally and distally.

Thorax: Red-brown to orange, uniformly strongly gold-silver pruinose, pale yellow and fine white setose. Pronotum orange-brown, gold-silver pruinose, fine white setose. Mesonotum red-brown to orange, entirely fine silver-gold pruinose, uniformly fine shiny yellow microsetose except for moderately developed, yellow to orange lateral macrosetae (1 npl, 2 spal), pal setae absent. Scutellum dark red-brown, entirely fine silver-gold pruinose. Discal scutellar setae yellow, apical scutellar setae absent. Pleura red-brown to orange, entirely gold-silver pruinose, fine white and pale yellow setose. Katatergal macrosetae poorly developed, pale yellow. Anatergites uniformly strongly gold-silver pruinose, asetose. Postmetacoxal area membranous. Legs: Coxae orange-brown, gold-silver pruinose, white and pale yellow setose. Femora dark red-brown with orange-brown distal and proximal areas. Tibiae yellow-brown proximally, dark red-brown distally. Tarsi dark red-brown. All leg setae pale yellowish. Claws well-developed, dark red-brown with brown-orange basal parts. Empodium dark red-brown, straight, slightly longer than claws. Pulvilli pale orange, well-developed. Wings (Fig. 23): ♂ (3) 6.9 × 2.4 mm, ♀ (5) 7.7 × 2.7 mm (females slightly bigger than males - note: some specimens in poor condition with tatty margins). Venation: Marginal cells open except for r5, m3, and cua, which are closed and stalked. Veins yellow to brown, membrane unstained, transparent, almost entirely microtrichose. Cell cup with weakly developed bordering vein (C) and microsetae. Alula well-developed, largely lacking bordering vein and microsetae.

Abdomen: Dark red-brown to orange, gold-silver pruinose, entirely pale yellow setose, macrosetae pale yellow. Tergites (T1-6 well-developed and clearly evident, others reduced and hidden from view below T6) red-brown, entirely pale yellow microsetose, strongly silver-gold pruinose posterolaterally, weakly pruinose anteromedially. T1-6 with pale yellow medial macrosetae (may be absent on T6 in males). Sternites dark red-brown, fine pale yellow setose, dull gold pruinose.

Male terminalia (Figs 13-15): Genital bulb rotated clockwise through approximately 180°. T7-8 and S7-8 reduced and poorly defined. Epandrium large, almost twice as long as broad, bilobed in distal quarter, lobes distally somewhat truncated in dorsal view (Fig. 13). Proctiger moderately well-developed, projecting to similar level attained by epandrial lobes. Hypandrium poorly defined, subtriangular in ventral view, appearing as long as wide (Fig. 15), terminating at a point where opposing gonocoxites almost meet midventrally. Gonocoxites well-developed, approximately as broad and a little more than half as long as epandrium in lateral view, long, densely arranged macrosetae on distal margin of gonocoxite. Gonostyli moderately well-developed, subdivided at base into two lobes, a slender dorsal lobe, tapering gradually to a darkly sclerotized tip, and a stronger ventral lobe possessing a straight basal region and distal club-like end bearing a black seta-like spine. Phallus complex in structure, with a relatively slender basal region leading to a relatively large, terminal bulb tipped with three small prongs.

Female terminalia (Fig. 16): Relatively broad and dorsoventrally flattened. Segments 1-6 well-developed, segments 7-8 reduced. Subgenital plate moderately well- developed, broader than long, with undulating distal margin (median lobes with somewhat square distal margins).

Type material.

Lectotype Kenya: Marsabit: 1♂ lectotype ' Laphystia / clausicella / Type. Herm. [gray]', 'Pres. By / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1923-58', 'Brit. E. Africa. / Marsabit. [c. 2°20'08"N, 37°59'40"E 1350m] / Oct 1911 / Capt. C. A. Neave’, 'Paratype / Laphystia / argenteofasciata Engel / not conspecific with type / det. J. E. Chainey, 1984', ’NHMUK010624209’ (BMNH).

Paralectotype 1♀ paralectotype - same data as lectotype, NHMUK010624212 (BMNH).

Additional material examined.

Kenya: Turkana: 1♂ 'Lokichar [c. 02°23'02"N, 35°38'52"E 767m] / Turkana / Kenya / 31/3/54', ' Laphystia Leow [sic] / Looks like … sp. / clausicella of Hermann [poor handwriting difficult to decipher]', ' Laphystia / clausicella Engel / (Hermann in lit.) / det. H. Oldroyd. 1962' ’NHMUK010624210’ (BMNH); 1♀ 'Lokichar / Turkana / Kenya / 31/3/54', ’NHMUK010624205’ (BMNH); 1♀ 'Lokichar / Turkana / Kenya / 31/3/54', ’NHMUK010624222’ (BMNH); 1♀ 'Loiyapuya [also Naoiyapua c. 02°24'22"S, 35°27'29"E 673m] / Turcana / 28/3/54', ’NHMUK010624218’ (BMNH); Kitui: 1♂ 2♀ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / Base of Ukasi Hill / 613m. 0.82103°S, / 38.54443°E [c. 0°49'16"S, 38°32'40"E]', 'Malaise trap. Acacia / Commiphora savanna / 21 Nov– 5 Dec 2011 / R. Copeland’ (NMKE); 17♂ 3♀ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / At Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E [02°38'31"S, 038°21'59"E] / 8-15.XI.1999, Malaise / trap, R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088422-26, 29, 31-37, 43, 51, 58, 64, USNMENT01088518 [17♂], USNMENT01088421, 23, 78 [3♀]] (USNM); 1♂ 3♀ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / At Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E / 25.X.-1.XI.1999, Malaise / trap, R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088496 [♂], USNMENT01088051, 55, 60 [3♀]] (USNM); 36♂ 6♀ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / At Athi River, Malaise trap, / 22-29.XI.1999 / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E / R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088369, 81, USNMENT01096577, 78, 80-82, 84, 86-88, 90, 93, 95-96, 98, USNMENT01096603, 09, 12, 83, USNMENT01096700-01, USNMENT01096801, 08-10, 14-16, 18-19, 24, 28-29, 35, 78 [36♂], USNMENT01088476, USNMENT01096617, USNMENT01096711, USNMENT01096806, 12, 17 [6♀]] (USNM); 3♂ 2♀ 'Kenya, Tsavo East Nat. / Park, near Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E [02°38'31"S, 038°21'59"E] / Malaise trap, 7-11.xii.98 / R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088126 & 28 [2♀], USNMENT01088127 & 30 & 33 [3♂]] (USNM); 1♂ 1♀ 'Kenya, Tsavo East Nat. / Park, near Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E / Malaise trap, 14-18.xii.98 / R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088125 [♂] 32 [♀]] (USNM); 1♀ 'Kenya, Tsavo East Nat. / Park, near Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E / Malaise trap, 28.xii.98- / 1.i.99 / R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088129] (USNM); 2♀ 'Kenya, Tsavo East Nat. / Park, near Athi River / 2°38.51'S, 38°21.98'E / Malaise trap, 21-25.xii.98 / R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01088131 & 34] (USNM); Isiolo: 1♂ 'Samburu Nat. Res. / KENYA / Samburu Serena [00°34'04"N, 037°31'24"E] / Stone foot path / 11.X.96, R. Copeland’ [USNMENT01097752] (USNM).

Additional material not examined by authors. Kenya: Kitui: 1♂ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / Base of Ukasi Hill / 613m. 0.82103°S, / 38.54443°E ', 'Malaise trap. Acacia / / Commiphora savanna / 7-21 Nov 2011 / R. Copeland’ (NMKE); 1♀ 'Kenya, Eastern Prov. / Simisi area / 653m, 2.01477°S / 38.32618°E ' [c. 2°00'53"S, 38°19'34"E], 'Malaise trap, shrubland / nr. Kwandula Hill / 1-4 Dec 2013 / J. Bukhebi and R. Copeland’ (NMKE).

Distribution, biodiversity hotspots, phenology and biology.

Widely distributed in Kenya, where the species straddles the equator (Fig. 56). A commonly collected species over a long period of time (Table 1). Not known to occur in any biodiversity hotspot (note: the central Kenyan locality (Samburu, 00°34'04"N, 037°31'24"E, Fig. 56) does not lie within the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot). Collected from October through to March (one record in January (Malaise Trap emptied on 1 January 1999) and none in February) (Table 2). Virtually nothing is known of the biology, but a few specimens, all Malaise trapped at four localities by R. Copeland, have data relating to the habitat occupied. It appears that the species favours ' Acacia Commiphora savanna’. The Kwandula Hill habitat is similar to Ukasi, but perhaps somewhat less hot with dry, deciduous shrubland (R. Copeland, pers. comm.).