Ancylorhynchus pretoriensis Bromley 1936
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Ancylorhynchus
Ancylorhynchus pretoriensis

description: Ancylorhynchus pretoriensis Bromley, 1936   
Figs 18, 48  
 Ancylorrhynchus pretoriensis: Bromley 1936: 135; Hull 1960: 217; Oldroyd 1974: 31.   
 Ancylorhynchus pretoriensis: Oldroyd 1980: 360 (catalogue).   
Redescription:  
 Female (based on holotype. Condition: Excellent.).   
 Head: Dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, pale yellow and red-brown setose. Antenna (Fig. 18): Scape and pedicel brown-orange, pale yellow setose, postpedicel orange proximally becoming brown-orange distally, terminal stylus ‘segment’ present, tipped with pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element. Segmental ratios: 1:0.4:3.0:0.3. Face black, silver pruinose except for lateral parts of epistomal margin, mystax shiny pale yellow occupying ventral ½ of face. Frons and vertex black, fine silver and dull gold pruinose except for ocellar tubercle, pale yellow setose; ocellar tubercle fine pale yellow setose (no macrosetae). Occiput black, uniformly silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. Palpus dark red-brown, mixed red-brown and pale yellow setose, terminal palpomere swollen, apex projecting with terminal sensory pit. Proboscis dark red-brown, pale yellow setose.   
 Thorax: Dark red-brown to black with orange areas dorsally, silver and dull gold pruinose, pale yellow and yellow setose. Prothorax dark red-brown (laterally and medially) and orange, silver pruinose, pale yellow setose. Mesonotum orange except for broad blackish medial band from anterior margin to midway between transverse suture and posterior margin, silver pruinose, fine moderately long pale yellow setose. Mesonotal macrosetae (yellow when present): dc confined mainly to posterior half, c. 3–4 npl, 1–2 spal, 4–5 pal. Scutellum orange with central dark red-brown area, silver pruinose, disc sparsely pale yellow setose, hind margin with c. 8 yellow moderately developed macrosetae accompanied by minor setae. Pleura entirely dark red-brown to black, entirely silver and fine dull gold pruinose, setae yellow confined to anepst, kepst and ktg. Anatg and mes pnot largely black (small parts of anatg orange-brown). Legs: cx dark red-brown, silver pruinose, white setose; tro red-brown and orange; fem, tib and tar uniformly orange, entirely pale yellow setose, claws dark red-brown with orange proximal parts. Wings (Fig. 48): 8.1× 3.2 mm. Veins orange-brown. Membrane extensively microtrichose (some proximal cells partly bare), pale brownish, transparent. Haltere orange-brown.   
 Abdomen: Blackish with orange to orange-brown patches, silver pruinose, white setose.T1 black, silver pruinose laterally; T2–3 dark red-brown to blackish, orange posterolaterally, narrow red-brown medial stripe, strongly silver pruinose posterolaterally; T4 similar to T2–3 but weakly pruinose posterolaterally; T5 dark red-brown posteriorly, uniformly moderately silver pruinose anteriorly; T6–terminalia orange-brown, T6 weakly pruinose anteriorly other parts apruinose. Sternites (largely hidden from view by overlapping tergites) appear similar to tergites.   
 Holotype (examined): ♀ SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Pretoria [25°44'S: 28°11'E] / Transvaal. / 2.12.1926 / H.K. Munro.’, ‘ Ancylorrhynchus / pretoriensis Br’ [red], ‘ Ancylorrhynchus / pretoriensis Br / Holotype 158’ [red ink] (NMSA).   
Notes: Bromley (1936) recorded details of his material as follows: ‘ Holotype, female, Pretoria, Feb. 12, 1926 (H. K. Munro). Paratopotype, female, Feb 12, 1915 (W. Impey) (No. 3220)’. The holotype is presently in NMSA, but there is no trace of the paratype. I believe that Bromley, following the American convention for writing dates (month before day), misinterpreted the date of collection which is more likely to be 2 December.  
Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from the type locality in Southern Africa (South Africa) (Table 1). The species has been collected only in December (Table 2). The biology is unknown. Pretoria is located in a area dominated by grassland and savanna biomes.  
 Similar species: A member of the reynaudii species-group. Despite efforts to associate males with the unique holotype this proved impossible and so a better understanding of this species must await the discovery of new material from the type locality.
description: Published as part of Londt, Jason G. H., 2011, A review of Afrotropical Ancylorhynchus Berthold, 1827 (Diptera: Asilidae: Stenopogoninae), pp. 471 in African Invertebrates 52 (2) on pages 514-515, DOI: 10.5733/afin.052.0214, http://zenodo.org/record/7917250