Gonioscelis whittingtoni, Londt, 2004

Londt, Jason G. H., 2004, A review of the afrotropical genus Gonioscelis Schiner, 1866 (Diptera: Asilidae), with descriptions of new species, African Invertebrates 45, pp. 21-124 : 98-100

Gonioscelis whittingtoni sp. n.

Figs 134–136 , 145

Etymology: Named for my friend Dr A. Whittington who accompanied me on an expedition to Kenya during the time he worked on Diptera at the Natal Museum.

Description: Based primarily on holotype ơ (NMSA).

Head: Antennal scape and pedicel orange-brown, postpedicel dark red-brown with orange-brown proximal end, setae mostly shiny yellow. Facial swelling poorly developed, mystax uniform shiny yellow, setae between gibbosity and antennal sockets relatively poorly developed. Frons and vertex gold-silver pruinose. Ocellar tubercle apruinose with shiny yellow oc. Occiput gold-silver pruinose, setae shiny yellow. Proboscis and palpus dark red-brown to black, yellow setose.

Thorax: Dark red-brown to black, silver-gold pruinose. Postpronotal lobes orange, contrasting with adjacent mesonotum, with yellow setae. Mesonotal setae yellow: ac not evident; approx. 7 pairs dc, just extending anterior of transverse suture; 2–3 npl; 3 sa; 4–5 pa. Scutellum black, silver pruinose, with 6 yellow mrg sct. Wing length 7.2 mm, membrane pale yellow hyaline. Legs: Yellow except for following dark redbrown marks – prothoracic femur in region of spur, small patches on anterior faces of meso- and metathoracic femora, setae yellow. Prothoracic coxa orange-brown, silver pruinose, pale yellow setose; femoral spur sharply pointed (angle approx. 25°).

Abdomen: Tergites dark red-brown to black, gold-silver pruinose, yellow setose. Sternites similar to tergites.

Terminalia (Holotype macerated and studied, but Madzidzi Bay ơ paratype illustrated, Figs 134–136 ):Long ep (lobes projecting beyond level attained by proctiger), lobes tapering distally to broadly rounded apices bearing long strong macrosetae; gcx with two distal projections and a group of fine setae; hyp, in ventral view, clearly longer than broad, tapering rapidly to deeply incised bilobed apex, lobes equipped with short fine setae.

Variation: A fairly uniform species displaying little individual variation or sexual dimorphism. The Madzidzi male illustrated has slightly more down-curved epandrial lobes in lateral view and slightly larger hypandrial lobes compared with the dissected holotype.

Type material: KENYA: 1ơ holotype, 3ơ 1^ paratypes, ‘ Kenya : West Pokot #67 / 4 km N of Marich Pass / 01°35'N 35°27'E 1000m / Date: 22.xi.1992 / A Whittington & L Londt / Open Acacia woodland’; 1ơ 1^ paratypes, ‘ Kenya. West Pokot – Rift / Valley. 20km N. of / Akeriamet. 01°42'N / 35°38'E. 1220m / 3-4 June 1980 / B. Lamoral’, ‘ơ + ^ / in copulo’; 1^ paratype, ‘ Kenya 6km S Kapedo / Hot Waterfall 760m / 01°08'N 36°06'E / 2-3.vi.1980 B. Lamoral / Malaise trap’ ; MALAWI:2ơ 4^ paratypes, ‘ Malawi #69, Lake Malawi, Madzidzi Bay / 14°10'S 35°00'E / Date: 3.xi.1996 / Coll: P. E. Reavell / Lowland Savannah’; 2ơ paratypes, ‘ Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 192? [figure obscured by pin]’, ‘ Nyasaland , / Lingadzi , / nr. Domira Bay . [13°35'S 34°27'E] / 1700 ft. 28.1.1915 [1ơ] 30.1.1915 [1ơ] / Dr. W.A. Lamborn’ ( BMNH) .

Type locality: Kenya, 4 km N of Marich Pass.

Other material: ERITREA: 1^, ‘ Eritrea : / Jebel [? Jebel Baka Island = Baca 15°04'N 40°19'E] / Geddem / 16.xii.1955 / D.J. Greathead’ ( BMNH) ; 1^, ‘ Eritrea : / Mareb [Mereb Wenz 15°05'N 37°10'E] / Bridge / 12.x.1960 / D.J. Greathead’ ( BMNH) ; 1ơ, ‘ Eritrea : / Hamasien [Hâmase ~ n Ãwraja 15°20'N 38°40'E] / 31.x.1958 / D.J. Greathead’ ( BMNH) ; 1^, ‘ Eritrea : / Ailet [Ãylet 15°34'N 39°09'E] / (taken with prey) [ Ammophila sp. ] / 7.i.1956 / D.J. Greathead’ ( BMNH) . GHANA: 1ơ, ‘ Gold Coast / Tamala [Tamale 09°24'N 00°50'W] / 24.xi.51 / B210-51 / J. Bowden’ ( BMNH) . ZAMBIA: 1ơ, ‘ N. Rhodesia / Pemba [09°09'S 32°24'E] 1919 / Father Casset’ ( SAMC) ; 1ơ, ‘ Northern Rhodesia / Broken Hill [= Kabwe 14°27'S 28°27'E] / 1.1.12. / F.V. Bruce Miller. / 1913- 199’ ( BMNH) . ZIMBABWE: 1ơ, ‘ S. Rhodesia: / Bindura. [17°18'S 31°20'E] / i.1929. / H.S. Leeson. / B.M. 1929-466’, ‘ Bindura / S Rhodesia / HS Leeson 1:1929’ ( BMNH) . UNKNOWN: 2ơ, ‘ Zambesia’ , ‘ Bought / A. Ford’, ‘ C.J. Wainwright / Collection. / B.M. 1948-488’ ( BMNH) .

Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1–2, Fig. 145 ): Perhaps the most widely distributed species, straddling the equator and recorded from southern, central, northeastern and western African countries. Specimens have been collected between October and January, although there are records for June, suggesting a lack of seasonality. Individuals have been collected on low vegetation in open Acacia woodland .

Similar species:A member of the large and widely distributed group of species possessing a poorly defined facial gibbosity.

Figures

Figs 134–142. Gonioscelis male genitalia. 134–136. G. whittingtoni sp. n. (Madzidzi Bay paratype). 134. Lateral. 135. Dorsal. 136. Ventral. 137–139. G. xanthochaites sp. n. (Aus paratype). 137. Lateral. 138. Dorsal. 139. Ventral. 140–142. G. zulu sp. n. (Mhlopeni Nature Reserve paratype). 140. Lateral. 141. Dorsal. 142. Ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 145. Distribution of Gonioscelis species found north of southern Africa. closed circle = occipitalis, open circle = pruinosus, closed square = submaculatus, open square = tomentosus, closed triangle = whittingtoni.