Pycnomerinx rhodesii
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1990
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Pycnomerinx
Pycnomerinx rhodesii

description: <i>Pycnomerinx rhodesii</i> (Ricardo, 1925) Figs 1-10, 17 <i>Habropogon rhodesii</i> Ricardo, 1925:274. <i>Pycnomerinx annulatus</i> Hull, 1962:145. <i>Pycnomerinx rhodesii;</i> Oldroyd, 1974:62; 1980: 367. Taxonomy: Ricardo (1925) did not designate a holotype but merely stated ' Types (male and female), and another from Bulawayo <i>(R. Stevenson,</i> 1923)'. I have seen all three specimens, the BM pair bearing both circular red 'Type' labels as well as circular blue 'Syntype' labels. The single NMZ male bears two handwritten labels 'Paratype' and <i>' Habropogon rhodesii</i> n. sp. Ricardo'. I consider all three specimens syntypes and designate the BM male as lectotype and the two females paralectotypes accordingly. Redescription: Based on lectotype male unless otherwise stated. <i>Head:</i> (Figs 1-4): Dark red-brown to black; gold-silver pruinose; all setae pale yellow-white. Antennae missing (other topotypic specimens have dark red-brown antennae with white setae on both scape and pedicel-Fig. 3). Ratio of maximum head width (in anterior aspect) to width of face (measured at level corresponding to maximum width of head) 4,1:1. Face silver pruinose except for lower margins adjacent to eyes and area beneath mystax which are shiny dark red-brown. Lower 60 % of face gently gibbose (Fig. 1). Shiny yellow-white mystax composed of moderately well-developed setae (no obvious macrosetae) and confined to facial gibbosity. Frons and vertex uniformly pruinose except for small, dull, central spot just above antennal bases. Vertex (Fig. 2) more or less in the same plane as dorsal surfaces of eyes and not markedly depressed as in most Asilidae. Ocellarium weakly pruinose. Occipital region entirely pruinose but more intensely so bordering eyes. Palp (Fig. 4) single-segmented, dark red-brown with whitish setae laterally. Proboscis dark red-brown. <i>Thorax:</i> Dark red-brown to black; gold-silver pruinose. Mesonotum uniformly pruinose; all setae shiny orange-yellow. Macrosetae: 2 notopleurals (npl), <i>ca 8</i> supra-alars (spal), <i>ca</i> 9 postalars (pal). Acrostichals (acr) and dorsocentrals (dc) absent anteriorly, weakly developed and forming part of a cluster of yellowish setae postsuturally. Scutellum with <i>ca</i> 12 yellowish macrosetae and many paler setae marginally; disc lacking setae except for a few small ones adjacent to hind margin. Prosternum (Fig. 6) with upper margin poorly demarcated. Pleura gold-silver pruinose except for a large black spot occupying most of anterior half of anepisternum (anepst) and upper part of propleuron (prpl). Katatergal macrosetae (ktg) white; metanepisternum and anatergites lacking setae. Postmetacoxal area entirely membranous. Wing: Length (measured from tip to humeral crossvein) 7,3 mm, breadth (measured through first fork of radial sector) 2,5 mm. Venation (Fig. 5) brown-yellow; membrane unstained and uniformly covered with microtrichia. Legs: Dark red-brown; tibiae slightly paler dorsoproximally; all setae pale yellow-white except for a few black ones ventrally on tarsomeres. Length of tarsus <i>ca</i> 55-60 % that of tibia. <i>Abdomen:</i> Dark red-brown to black anteriorly, becoming increasingly orange-brown distally; hind margins of most segments silver to gold-silver pruinose; setae, pale yellow, moderately well developed, except for a group of macrosetae laterally on first tergum (Tl). Genitalia orange-brown (Matopo Hills <i>d</i> illustrated - Figs 7-9); rotated through 90°. Epandrium fused with hypandrium laterally (Fig. 7) but very faint 'suture' may be visible. Gonocoxite (Fig. 9) of fairly elaborate form and possessing a flattened, finely setose median lobe (the flattened parts of opposing lobes being more or less in the same plane). Aedeagus short and apparently with a single very short terminal penisfillum. Cerci appear largely fused (Fig. 8). Female (paralectotypes): Similar to male but abdomen hardly showing any orange-brown coloration; legs somewhat browner. Genitalia (Fig. lO-Farmers Brigade S? illustrated). Subgenital plate produced distally as a scoop-shaped digging organ. Acanthophorites in two groups of about 6 in number. Cerci with group of fine setae distally. Variation: There is a small degree of individual variation within populations. The colour and number of setae may differ slightly and pruinescence may be more golden in some individuals. The dark pleural spot is not always as obvious as in the type series. Namibian specimens tend to be smaller and may have the antennal flagellum brown. Material examined: BOTSWANA: 2 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Sepopa [18 °13 'S:22 °1 3 'E], W. Okavango, 29.iii. 1973, Nat. Mus. Bulawayo (NMZ); 2 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Serowe [22 °25'S: 26 °44'E], iv.1983, Forchhammer (NM); 4 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, Farmers Brigade,S kms SE Serowe, 2226BD, 19.iv.1983 <i>8.W.</i> 28. iv. l. v.1984 ii.1986, P. Forchhammer, Hillside N slope, Malaise trap 1 (NM); 1 &amp;female;, Farmers Brigade, S kms SE Serowe, 2226BD, iii.1986, P. Forchhammer, Malaise trap 2 (NM); 2 &amp;male; 2 &amp;female;, Farmers Brigade, 5 kms SE Serowe, 2226BD, iv. v.1986, P. Forchhammer, Malaise trap 3 (NM); 1 &amp;male;, Forestry Nursery, <i>ca.</i> 6 kms SE Serowe, 2226BD, 22.iv.1985, Forchhammer, 1300m, Malaise trap 3 (NM). MOZAMBIQUE: 1 &amp;female;, Macaneta [25 °52'S: 32 °14'E], 30.iv.1980, H. R. Feijen (NM); 2 &amp;female;, Goba [probably 26°12'S: 32 °08'E], 13.iv. 12. v.1980, H. R. Feijen (NM). NAMIBIA: 1 &amp;female;, Hoas 273, Outjo, 1914DC, 1O- 11.v.1973, H 12865 (SMW); 1 &amp;male;, 10 km SW Tsumeb, Rd 119, 19 °18'S: 17 °37'E, 2 l. iii. 1984, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, Mixed woodland and roadside grass (NM); 1 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, Kombat [19 °43'S: 17 °42' E] (W48), 1 -6.iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 1 &amp;male; 2 &amp;female;, 15 km NE Grootfontein, J. Scribante Skitbaan, Rd8/2, 19 °28'S: 18 °15' E, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, 2l. iii.1984, Grassy road verges (NM); 1 &amp;male;, 21 km SE Steinhausen, Rd 57, <i>21 °53'S: 18OZ7'E,</i> 18.iii.1984, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, Dry <i>Acacia</i> woodland (NM); 1 &amp;male;, 7 km SW Gross Barmen, 2216BA, 24. iv.1983, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, Thornveld (NM); 1 cJ', 25 km W of Windhoek, 2216DB, 22. iv.1983, Londt &amp; Stuckenberg, Thornveld (NM); 3 cJ' 1 &amp;female;, 13 km S Windhoek, 2217CA, 18.iv.1983, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, Rocky slopes, Mixed Thornveld (NM); 1 &lt;?, 26 km N Windhoek, Road 116, 22 °20'S: 17 °04'E, 29. iii.1984, Londt &amp; Stuckenberg, Dry stream bed <i>Acacia</i> riparian woodland (NM); 3 &amp;male; 2 &amp;female;, Aris, 30 km S Windhoek, 2217CA, 18. iv.1983, Stuckenberg &amp; Londt, Thornveld (NM BM); 1 &amp;female;, 24 km N Witvlei, Road 57, 22°16'S: 18 °26'E, 18.iii.1984, Londt &amp; Stuckenberg, <i>Acacia</i> thornveld and grassy verge of road (NM); 1 &amp;female;, Gobabis [22 °30'S: 18 °58'E], ii/ iii. 1971 (NM); 1 &amp;male; 2 &amp;female;, Noachabeb 97, Keetmanshoop, <i>2718AD/BC,</i> 22-28.iv.1972, H 8026 (SMW). SOUTH AFRICA: <i>Cape Province:</i> 1 &amp;male;, 17 km SE of Kuruman, 2723CB, 23.iii.1982, J. Londt &amp; L. Schoeman, Rocky hilltop / grass (NM). <i>Natal:</i> 1 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, Mhlopeni Nat Reserve, 8 km SE of Muden, 2930AB, 8.iv.1983, Londt Barraclough &amp; Seymour, Thornveld (NM); <i>Transvaal:</i> 1 &amp;male;, Satara [24°19'S: 31 °47'E], K. N. P. Survey, 26.iv. -l. v.1969, Potgieter &amp; Strydom (NM); 1 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, Kruger National Park, vicinity of Skukuza, 2431DC, 9-12.iv.1985, J. Londt, Bushveld (NM); 1&amp;female; Brits Dist. Silkaatsnek (2527DB), 21.iii.1972, J. A. van Reenen (NM); 2&amp;female; [25 °45'S: 28 °10'E], 18. iii. 9. iv.1967, D. H. Jacobs, KAM298JR (NM); 1 &amp;female;, Naboomspruit, 2529AA, iv.1980, B. Meyer, Dept Entomology, Univ Pretoria (NM). ZIMBABWE: 1 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, (lectotype and paralectotype), Bulawayo [2001O'S:28°43'E], 11 12.iv.1923, R. Stevenson (BM); 1 &amp;male; (paralectotype), Bulawayo [2001O'S: 28°43'E], 12. iv.1923, R. Stevenson (NMZ); 3 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Matopo Hills [20036'S:28 °28'E], iv. 1932, Miss A Mackie (BM NM). Distribution: Apparently limited to southern Africa. Distributed widely from northern Namibia in the west through Botswana and eastern Zimbabwe into the eastern parts of South Africa (Transvaal and Natal) and southern Mozambique (Fig. 17). It is of interest that the British Museum expedition of 1971-72 failed to collect specimens of <i>rhodesii</i> in northern Botswana where good collections of both <i>cogani</i> and <i>gweta</i> were made. Ecology: The little that is known is gleaned from available label data and personal field experience. The species is found in grass in <i>Acacia</i> woodland (= bushveld or thornveld) areas. Records indicate that adults fly during the latter part of summer (February to May) (Table 2).
description: Published as part of <i>Londt, Jason G. H., 1990, Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 20. The genus Pycnomerinx Hull, 1962 (Stenopogoninae), pp. 19-32 in ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 31</i> on pages 22-26, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8383759
description: {"references": ["RICARDO, G. 1925. New species of Asilidae from South Africa. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9) 15: 234 - 282.", "HULL, F. M. 1962. Robber flies of the World. The genera of the family AsiJidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 224 (1 - 2): 1 - 907.", "-- 1974. An introduction to the Robber Flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of Southern Africa. Annals of the Natal Museum 22 (1): 1 - 171.", "-- 1980. Family Asilidae. In: Crosskey, R. W. ed. Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region. London: British Museum (Natural History), pp. 334 - 373."]}