Gonioscelis francoisi Oldroyd 1970
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Gonioscelis
Gonioscelis francoisi

description: Gonioscelis francoisi Oldroyd, 1970   
Figs 48, 144  
 Gonioscelis francoisi Oldroyd, 1970: 278–279 (Fig. 51 ơ gen.).   
Redescription: Based primarily on holotype ơ (ISNB).  
 Head: Antenna black, thinly red-gold pruinose, setae black. Facial swelling moderately developed, without obvious point at which dorsal region terminates below antennal sockets, mystax uniform dark red-brown to black, a good cluster of macrosetae just below antennal sockets.Frons and vertex black, thinly red-gold pruinose. Ocellar tubercle mostly red-gold pruinose with black oc. Occiput red-gold pruinose except for a pair of apruinose areas behind vertex, setae mostly dark red-brown or black (a few pale brown). Proboscis and palpus dark red-brown, with dark red-brown setae.   
 Thorax: Dark red-brown, red-gold pruinose. Postpronotal lobes not contrasting with adjacent mesonotum, with a cluster of black setae (a few pale brown). Mesonotal setae mostly black: ac not evident; approx. 5 pairs black dc, just extending anterior of transverse suture; 2 npl (missing, but sockets evident); 2–3 black sa; 2 brown-yellow pa (1 of 4 pa is black). Scutellum as mesonotum, with 2 black mrg sct. Wing length 7.1 mm, membrane mostly dark brown (a few cells have paler central areas). Legs: Brownorange with dark red-brown areas (i.e. most of pro- and mesothoracic femora, except dorsodistal parts, entire metathoracic femur), setae mostly black. Prothoracic coxa black, red-gold pruinose, black setose; femoral spur moderately pointed (angle approx. 40°).   
 Abdomen: Entirely broken off and missing.   
 Terminalia: ơ illustrated by Oldroyd (1970). Unfortunately the holotype and paratype ơ are now without abdomens. The illustration provided by Oldroyd (1970), reproduced here for the reader’s convenience (Fig. 48), almost certainly depicts structures that were not macerated. Features that appear diagnostic are as follows. Epandrium paler than preceding segments, apparently (see discussion of similar species below) long (i.e. lobes projecting beyond tip of down-curved proctiger), lobes tapering slightly distally in lateral aspect, each with a group of fine macrosetae distally; hyp fairly long and equipped with long macrosetae distally, appearing to have a structure similar to that seen in nigripennis. The gcx does not resemble any other species and may be poorly depicted.   
 Variation: The Kitega ^ studied is similar to the holotype except for the following points: Postpronotal lobes largely orange-brown and contrasting with the mesonotum; the dc are more extensively developed (approx. 10 pairs along two-thirds of the mesonotum), legs generally paler (dark red-brown areas not as extensive), wings (7.4 mm) uniformly brown-yellow. Oldroyd (1970) has also drawn attention to the variation seen in the material from Kitega.   
 Type material: BURUNDI: 1ơ holotype (seen), ‘ Urundi: Kisenyi [02°30'S 30°11'E] / (Busoni) 17-xii.-1950, 1500m. F. François’ (ISNB), 1^ paratype (not seen), same data as holotype (repository unknown), 1ơ paratype (seen), Urundi: Kitega [Gitega – 03°26'S 29°56'E] / 21.x.1950 1700 m. / F. François (ISNB). 1^ paratype (not seen), Kitega, 1720 m, 1.xii.1950 (repository unknown).   
Type locality: Burundi: Kisenyi.  
Notes: Types apparently originally in the collection of F. J. François, Brussels, are now in ISNB. Label data provided by Oldroyd (1970) are not entirely correct.  
Distribution, phenology and biology (Tables 1–2, Fig. 144): Known from two localities in Burundi. Material has been collected in October and December.  
 Similar species: A member of the large and widely distributed group of species possessing a poorly defined facial gibbosity. It is difficult to establish possible relationships with other species as the male genitalia can now only be appreciated from the somewhat inadequate drawing by Oldroyd (1970). Although he states ‘Male genitalia red, short, as in Text-fig. 51’, the illustration (see reproduction supplied as Fig. 48) shows what appears to be a long, tapering, distally setose hypandrium resembling that of nigripennis. Oldroyd’s use of the word ‘short’ must refer then to the epandrial lobes. His drawing shows an epandrium that terminates in what Oldroyd clearly interpreted as part of the proctiger. If this distal section is indeed part of the proctiger, it is exceptionally elongate and setose. As Oldroyd did not usually macerate genitalia, it is possible that some misinterpretation of these structures occurred. It is likely that the distal part of what Oldroyd believed to be the proctiger is an extension of the epandrium. A better assessment of this species and its relationships will only be possible when the holotype genitalia are found or topotypic males become available.
description: Published as part of Londt, Jason G. H., 2004, A review of the afrotropical genus Gonioscelis Schiner, 1866 (Diptera: Asilidae), with descriptions of new species, pp. 21-124 in African Invertebrates 45 on pages 45-46, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7666901