Melouromyia diaphorus, Londt, 2002

Londt, Jason G. H., 2002, Afrotropical Asilinae (Asilidae): A provisional key to genera, with a review of the status of Neomochtherus Osten Sacken, 1878, and descriptions of new genera and species, African Invertebrates 43, pp. 11-92 : 49-52

Melouromyia diaphorus sp. n. ( Figs 156–163 )

Etymology: Gr. diaphoros – different, refers to the fact that the species differs from natalensis .

Diagnosis: Head: Antennal scape and pedicel blackish, pedicel with at most a narrow yellowish apex; postpedicel shorter than stylus. Thorax: Postpronotal lobe with long setae. Dorsocentrals present both anterior and posterior to transverse suture. Microtrichial coverage of wing fairly extensive in distal area (cell r 5 entirely covered). Prothoracic femur with long, fine, hair-like posteroventral setae. Metathoracic coxa with one lateral macroseta; trochanter dark red-brown to black; femur anteriorly yellow with brownblack markings and with dark red-brown to black macrosetae. Abdomen: Ovipositor relatively long and narrow (length:width ratio, measured dorsally>3.3) and relatively long and shallow (length:depth ratio, measured laterally>2.8). Gonocoxite length:width ratio 2.1–2.5. Distal margin of S8 lacking medial process or sclerotised area. Ventromedial area of hypandrium not markedly constricted. Gonostylus moderately slender (viewed ventrally). Aedeagal terminal filaments short and poorly developed. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite (viewed ventrally). Aedeagus straight, relatively short and laterally compressed. Epandrium simple (without obvious lobes or projections).

Material examined: Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ, ‘ South Africa: 2429AA / Transvaal Uitkyk Rd / 10km N Potgietersrus / 28.i.1978 JGH Londt / Rocky side of koppie / grass trees and bush’. Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ 1^, ‘ South Africa: 2428BB / Transv. Drummondlea / 9km S Potgietersrus / 28.i.1978 JGH Londt / Grass under trees’; 3ơ 4^1?, same data as holotype.

Type locality: South Africa, Limpopo Province, 10 km N. of Potgietersrus .

Comments: The types, known from only two localities some 20 km apart, were swept from grass within woodland (i.e. Acacia savannah).

Melouromyia natalensis ( Ricardo, 1919) Comb. n. ( Figs 164–172 ) Heligmoneura natalensis Ricardo, 1919: 78–79 .

Neomochtherus natalensis ; Hull, 1962: 591; Tsacas, 1969:24–25; Hull, 1976: 260.

Pashtshenkoa natalensis ; Lehr, 1996: 71.

Type material: Syntype: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ (seen), ‘Type / H.T. / natalensis ’ [Poorly hand-written around circular red-bordered label], ‘Presented / by / Cape Museum / 10. 2.19’, ‘ Syntype / Heligmoneura / natalensis Ricardo / det. J.E. Chainey, 1985’ [blueedged circular syntype label glued to corner] ( BMNH); 1^ (seen), ‘Type / Helig. Natalensis ’ [Poorly hand-written around circular red-bordered label], ‘Karkloof, / Natal/ / Feb. 1897. / G.A.K. Marshall. / 1903-17.’, ‘ Syntype / Heligmoneura / natalensis Ricardo / det. J.E. Chainey, 1985’ [blue-edged circular syntype label glued to corner] ( BMNH); 5ơ 6^ 1? (seen), ‘Mfongosi [28 ° 42'S: 30 ° 48'E], Zulu L., iv (1^) xii (1ơ 1^) 1911, ii.1912 (1^ 1?), 1914 (1^), iv (1ơ) v (1ơ) xii (2ơ 2^) 1916, W. E. Jones’ ( SAMC). Lectotype designation: Ricardo (1919), as was her custom, designated both a male and a female as ‘types’. I therefore consider all her specimens to be syntypes and believe that should it ever be desirable to designate a lectotype, her ‘type’ male (apparently previously labelled ‘Marley Kloof, Natal’, but now without locality label) would be the best choice. There is a defective syntype (lacking terminalia) in the BMNH from Kloof, that I have not seen. Ricardo recorded other specimens from ‘Natal and Mfongosi, Zululand’ which I have found in the SAMC collection. Details are as follows: 1^, ‘KKloof [Krantz Kloof] / Marley / Mar. 15’ ( SAMC); 1^, ‘Kloof / HWBM [H. W. Bell-Marley] / I-15’ ( SAMC); 5ơ 6^ 1?, ‘Mfongozi [28 ° 42'S: 30 ° 48'E], / Zulu L. / W. E. Jones’ Dates recorded are – iv.1911 (1^) xii.1911 (1ơ 1^) 11.1912 (1^ 1?) 1914 (1^) iv.1916 (1ơ) v.1916 (1ơ) xii.1916 (2ơ 2^) ( SAMC). I consider all these Ricardoexamined specimens to be syntypes.

Material examined: BOTSWANA: 5 km S.E. of Serowe , Farmers Brigade, SE 2226BD. MALAWI: Viphia, Chikangawa, SE1133DD. MOZAMBIQUE: Goba [3 localities – most likely is 26 ° 11'59'':S: 32 ° 08'18''E.]. SOUTH AFRICA: Wyllies Poort , 2229DD; Louis Trichardt [23 ° 03'S: 29 ° 54'E], 4500 ft, ( SAMC); Capricorn Private Nat Reserve, 2329CB; Pietersburg 23 ° 54'S: 29 ° 27'E ; Modjadji Nat Res, 23.38S 30.2020E; Vaalwater, SE 2428 Ab ; Waterberg Mts , Heuningsfontein , 2428AD; Warm Baths , 2428CD; 10 km S.W. of Naboomspruit , 2428DA; 20 km N.E. of Potgietersrus , 2429AA; Tongwane falls [24 ° 13'S: 29 ° 54'E]; Percy Fyfe Nat. Res., [24 ° 11'S: 29 ° 01'E]; Marble Hall [24 ° 58'S: 29 ° 18'E]; Ofcolaco 2430AB; Malta Forest [24 ° 10'S: 30 ° 14'E]; 5 km N. of Strijdom Tunnels , 2430BC; Blyde River Canyon , 2430DB; Elandsfontein [24 ° 37'S: 30 ° 46'E]; Britz Dist. , Silkaatsnek (2527DB); Pretoria [25 ° 45'S: 28 ° 10'E]; Loskopdam Nature Reserve area, 2529AD; Witbank [25 ° 52'S: 29 ° 14'E; Mac Mac Falls Area, 2530BB; Sabie – Lourie Trail, 25 ° 06'S: 30 ° 46'E, 900 m; 8 km N.W. Barberton on Badplaas Rd, SE 2530DD; Barberton [25 ° 55'S: 31 ° 07'E]; Lomati River Headwaters, 2531CC, 1175 m; Swartfontein, Vryburg, 26 54'S: 24 45'E, 1240 m; Ferndale, Randburg [26 ° 06'S: 27 ° 59'E]; Parys [26 ° 54'S: 27 ° 27'E; Johannesburg [26 ° 12'S: 28 ° 05'E]; Johannesburg, 2628Aa; Germiston [26 ° 13'S: 28 ° 11'E; Carolina, SE 2630Aa; Ntabambomvu Hills, Piggs Peak Road, 26 ° 07'S: 31 ° 10'E; Ndumu Game Reserve, 2632CD; 3 km N. eManguzi, 2632Dd; Kosi Bay Nat. Res., 2632DD; 8 km N. Schweizer- Reneka, 27 09'S:25:15'E, 1350 m; Pongolo-bush Nat Res, 2730BC; Pongola Bush Nat Res, 27 ° 21'S: 30 ° 26'E, 40 m; Ingwavuma [27 ° 08'S: 31 ° 59'E]; False Bay Park Res, ca. 27 ° 58'S: 32 ° 22'E; Mfongozi [28 ° 42'S: 30 ° 48'E] ( SAMC); Melmoth Dist., 28 ° 38'S: 31 ° 27'E, 760[m]; Nkandhla Forest Res, 28 ° 44'35''S: 31 ° 09'00''E, 1000 m; Kwanzimela Valley, nr Melmoth [28 ° 37'S: 31 ° 27'E], 915 m; Eshowe, Dlinza Forest Reserve, 2831Cd, 450 m; Eshowe, 28 ° 53'S: 31 ° 28'E; Entumeni Nature Res, 28 ° 52'35''S: 31 ° 22'54''E, 720 m; 20 km S.E. Nkandla, 2831Ca; Hluhluwe Game Reserve, 28 ° 04'S: 32 ° 02'E, 400 m; Hluhluwe Reserve [28 ° 05'S: 32 ° 02'E]; Dukuduku [28 ° 23'S: 32 ° 19'E]; Pietermaritzburg, 2930Cb; Pietermaritzburg, 29 34'S: 30 20'E, 900 m; Town Bush Valley, 2930CB, 950 m; Pietermaritzburg, 29 30'S: 30 26'E, 640 m; Pietermaritzburg, Athlone, 29 ° 35'S: 30 ° 21'E, 960 m; Waterfall area, 29 ° 45'S: 30 ° 51'E; Krantz’K [Krantskloof 29 ° 45'S 30 ° 51'E]; Kloof [29 ° 47'S: 30 ° 50'E]; Amanzimtoti, 3030Ab; Ramsgate, 3030Cd; Unknown SA locality: Blinkwater. SWAZILAND: 1 km N. of Ngogolo, 26 ° 07'S: 31 ° 10'E, 400 m; Mbabane [26 ° 19'S: 31 ° 08'E]; 13 km N. of Ngogolo, 26 ° 19'S: 31 ° 38'E, 300 m. ZIMBABWE: Matopos National Park, [20 ° 33'S: 28 ° 33'E].

I have also seen the following specimens, here included in natalensis , which have the legs entirely yellowish: SOUTH AFRICA: 1ơ 1^, Drummondlea , 2428BB, 9 km S. Potgietersrus , 28.i.1978, Londt , Grass under trees; 1ơ, 35 km N.E. of Estcourt, Weenen N R [Nature Reserve], 28 ° 52'S: 30 ° 00'E, 1100 m, 2–9.xii.1991, Perrin & Goddard, Malaise tr.; 1^, Mhlopeni Nature Res, 15 km S.E. Muden, 2930AB, Londt, 4.ii.1984. Material not studied: 1^, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, 18.4.1951, loc. No. 277, Brinck and Rudebeck ( MZLU) (cited Hull, 1976) .

Type locality: South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Kloof (a suburb near Durban). Although the male ‘type’ lacks a locality label, Ricardo states that it was collected ‘from Marley Kloof, Natal’. As Marley, a well-known collector, collected in the Kloof area, and I have seen a specimen from Waterfall, a neighbouring area, Kloof can be accepted as the type locality. This area is now greatly transformed by urban sprawl, however, the nearby Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is still likely to be a suitable habitat .

Comments: This species was placed in Pashtshenkoa by Lehr (1996). Although the male genitalia are superficially similar to those of other Pashtshenkoa species illustrated by Lehr, the aedeagal form is different, and until further comparisons are made I consider natalensis digeneric and have, therefore, separated the species (together with diaphorus ) from Pashtshenkoa (which is primarily palaearctic) and placed it in a separate taxon. M. natalensis is widespread ( Fig. 253 ) and appears to be associated with woodland habitats. A number of specimens have been collected in suburban gardens in Pietermaritzburg.

Figures

Figs 156–163. Melouromyia diaphorus sp. n. (Potgietersrus ơ & ^). 156.Antenna. 157. Wing. 158–161. ơ genitalia. 158. Lateral. 159. Dorsal. 160. Ventral. 161. Aedeagus, lateral (base obscured by gonocoxite). 162–163. ^ genitalia. 162. Lateral. 163. Dorsal. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Figs 164–172. Melouromyia natalensis (Ricardo, 1919) (Pietermaritzburg ơ & ^). 164. Antenna. 165. Wing. 166–170. ơ genitalia. 166. Lateral. 167. Dorsal. 168. Ventral. 169.Aedeagus, lateral. 170. Gonocoxite and gonostylus (inside view of right side). 171–172. ^ genitalia. 171. Lateral. 172. Dorsal. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Fig. 253. Distribution of Melouromyia natalensis.