Disparomitus transvaliensis Michel 2019, n. comb.
Creators: name: Michel, Bruno
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Neuroptera
Ascalaphidae
Disparomitus
Disparomitus transvaliensis

description: Disparomitus transvaliensis (van der Weele, 1909) n. comb.
(Figs 71–83, 94, 129–132)
Suphalomitus transvaliensis van der Weele, 1909: 188.
Disparomitus longus Navás, 1911: 13, n. syn.
Diagnosis. Wing length (mm): ♂ forewing 30–36, hind wing 26–30; ♀ forewing 31–35, hind wing 27–29. Dark brown to black species with two lateral yellow markings on each side of mesoscutellum; anterior edge of this marking is oblique and not perpendicular to the axis of the body. Veins black. Lateral spines of base of abdomen stout, stronger than in D. caviceps. Gonarcus with a dorsal V-shaped marking (Fig. 129).
Redescription. Head. Labrum, clypeus and genae light yellow. Face yellow with a brownish to dark brown transverse stripe below base of antennae. Face with white setae. Vertex brown with mixed grey and black setae. Thorax (Fig. 94). Pronotum light brown with discal surface black. Mesonotum: prescutum brown with two yellowish round markings. Mesoscutum brown bordered with yellowish. Mesoscutellum dark brown to black with two posterior conspicuous yellow markings. These markings are approximately triangular, with anterior margin oblique. Metanotum: metascutellum brown with two postero-lateral yellowish markings. Lateral surface brown and yellow (Fig. 72). Typically in mesonotum the anepisternum is brown, basisternite brown and yellow, katepisternum brown variably suffused with yellow, anepimeron yellow with anterior margin brown, katepisternum brown; in metanotum the anepisternum is brown suffused with yellow discally, the basisternite and the katepisternum brown and yellow, anepimeron yellow with a ventral brown marking and katepisternum brown with the dorsal margin bordered with yellow. Legs. Femora and tibiae yellow with black longitudinal lines (Fig. 72). Wings. Membrane hyaline. Some specimens have the costal field and the apex suffused with pale brown. Abdomen (Figs 73, 74, 79, 80). Brown. First abdominal tergite of male with posterior and dorsal surface of dorsal expansions yellowish (Fig. 73, 79). Lateral expansions variably globulous with stout black erect setae (Fig. 73, 79, 80, 94). Second abdominal tergite with a tuft of slender erect setae (Fig. 73). Lateral surface of second and third abdominal tergites covered with short, stout spine-like black setae. Third abdominal tergite with a dorso-longitudinal darker line and the slits variably marked with brown. Abdominal sternites III to VI with longitudinal black stripe norrowed anteriorly (Fig. 74). Ectoprocts yellowish with anterior round dark marking and posterior margin largely bordered with dark brown (Fig. 75). Subgenital plate variably bulged, largely bordered with dark brown, posterior margin with blunt tip (Fig. 75). Male genitalia. Gonarcus-parameres complex as in figures 81, 82, 129–132. Gonarcus brown, light in colour dorsally. Bulb surface variably wrinkled and whitish with a darker V-shaped marking. Parameres long. Carena well developed.
Material examined (20 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀). Holotype ♀ of Suphalomitus transvaliensis van der Weele, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Transvaal (no locality data), coll. van der Weele leg. 1907 (N°6, RMNH) (Fig. 77). Holotype ♂ of Disparomitus longus Navás, MOZAMBIQUE, Province du Gorongoza, approx. -18.5/34.05, alt. 40 m, Tendo du Sungoué, C. Vasse 1907 leg. (MNHN) (Fig. 71). Additional material. KENYA: 1 ♂ Mikindani (near Mombasa), -4.007916/39.628587, alt. 56 m, 02.xii.1911, Grote S.G. leg., Disparomitus longus det. Tjeder 1983, (ZMHB). 1 ♂ Nairobi, Thika, -1.038757/37.083375, alt. 1500 m, iii.1950, E. Pinhey leg. F.C. Fraser Bequest., Disparomitus bacillus det. Fraser, coll. (NHMUK 1963–234). MOZAMBIQUE: 2 ♂♂ Quiterajo, -11.751805/ 40.44272, alt. 18 m, Camp de Base, 30.xi.2008, Raplus & Martinez leg. (Cirad-CBGP). 1♀ Vallée du Sungoué, Guengère, -19.0833/34.25, alt. 50 m, Disparomitus longus Navás det. Navás (labelled as « cotype »), C. Vasse 1906 leg. (MNHN) (Fig. 74). REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 2 ♂♂ Skukuza Rest Camp, -24.983333/ 31.916667, alt. 418 m, E. TVL. Kruger National park, collected at light, 11 and 13.x.1972, A. Brack leg. (SANC NEUR05907). 1 ♀ Tvl Soutpan, Pretoria Dist., -25.4/28.1, alt. 1175 m, 21.xi.1992, H. Hölzel, P. Ohm, M.W. Mansell leg., collected at light (SANC NEUR05904). SUDAN *: 1 ♂ Erkowit (probably Ar Kaweit), 18.77/ 37.100833, alt. 1046 m, 02.vii.1917, H.H. King leg., Disparomitus citernii det. Kimmins, N ° 11331, Ent. Coll. (C 6943, MNHUK 1938–159). SWAZILAND: 1 ♂ Mpisi, -26.383333/31.533333, alt. 300 m, 15.xi.1996, N.J. Duke leg. (SANC NEUR05906). TANZANIA: 6 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ Amani, lat. -5.1 long. 38.6333, alt. 904 m, Usambara Montains, iv.1950, van Someren leg., V.G.L. van Someren collection (NHMUK 1959–468). 1 ♂ same locality, ii.1950, T.H.E. Jackson leg., F.C. Fraser Bequest. Disparomitus citernii det. Fraser (NHMUK 1963–234). 1 ♀ same locality, ii.1950 Disparomitus horvathi det. Fraser, (NHMUK 1963-234). UGANDA: 1 ♂ Madi Opei, 3.6037/ 33.0859, alt. 1030 m, v.1951, van Someren leg., V.G.L. van Someren Collection (NHMUK 1959–468). ZIMBABWE [Rhodesia]: 1♂ Laurenceville Vumba, approx. -19.08/32.75, 12.xi.1957, H. Cookson leg., det. Tjeder 1970 (NHMUK 1958–274). 1♂ same locality, 18.xi.1957, H. Cookson leg., det. Tjeder, 1970 (NHMUK 1958–274). ZAMBIA: 1 ♂ Lake Bangweulu, -11.20/29.74, approx. alt. 1160 m, Kapola N. of Kapata, 27.x.1946, M. Steele leg. (NHMUK 1947–351). 1♂ Kapiri, -13.977868/28.684811, alt. 1282 m,. ix.1912, Miss. Agric. leg., Disparomitus longus det. Navás (00729, R. DÉT. i 226 MRAC).
* This specimen is in a poor state of preservation. The thorax is fractured between the meso and the metathorax and the abdomen, of which the apical part is lacking, has been reattached to the thorax by its caudal extremity. I tentatively identify it as D. transvaliensis.
Distribution. The species is distributed throughout eastern Africa from the Republic of South Africa to Sudan (Fig. 139).
description: Published as part of Michel, Bruno, 2019, Revision of the genus Disparomitus van der Weele, 1909 with descriptions of four new species (Neuroptera, Ascalaphidae), pp. 1-39 in Zootaxa 4551 (1) on pages 27-28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4551.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2622492