Ancylorhynchus snowi Londt 2011, sp. n.
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Ancylorhynchus
Ancylorhynchus snowi

description: Ancylorhynchus snowi sp. n.   Figs 23, 53, 123–125  
Etymology: Named for William Snow who collected the unique specimen during extensive fieldwork in The Gambia (Londt 2010).  
Description:  
 Male (based on holotype. Condition: Excellent; left antenna broken off beyond pedicel.).   
 Head: Orange to orange-brown, silver pruinose, whitish setose.Antenna (Fig. 23): Scape and pedicel orange, whitish setose, postpedicel orange, tipped with obliquely situated pit-enclosed spine-like sensory element (terminal stylus ‘segment’ absent). Segmental ratios: 1:0.3:7.1. Face brown-orange, colour largely masked by strong silver pruinescence, mystax shiny whitish occupying ventral ¼ of face. Frons and vertex orange to orange-brown, silver pruinose, whitish setose; ocellar tubercle largely apruinose, fine whitish setose. Occiput orange to brown-orange, uniformly silver pruinose, whitish setose. Palpus orange, whitish setose, terminal palpomere swollen, apex with terminal sensory pit. Proboscis orange-brown, whitish setose.   
 Thorax: Dark red-brown and orange, fine silver pruinose, whitish setose. Prothorax mostly orange, posterior antepronotum with red-brown lateral areas and small medial spot, fine silver pruinose, whitish setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown with broad orange lateral margins, fine silver pruinose, fine whitish setose. Mesonotal macrosetae (whitish when present): few dc confined to posterior region, 3–4 npl, 1 spal, 2 pal. Scutellum entirely red-brown, fine silver pruinose, disc sparsely whitish setose, hind margin with c. 4 (somewhat obscured) whitish weakly developed macrosetae accompanied by minor setae. Pleura extensively dark red-brown (anepimeron orange-brown), entirely silver pruinose, setae whitish, sparse, confined to anepst, kepst and ktg. Anatg and mes pnot orange-brown. Legs: cx orange-brown, silver pruinose, white setose; tro orange (tro 2 with whitish setae ventrally); fem, tib and tar uniformly orange, entirely whitish setose, claws dark red-brown with orange proximal parts. Wings (Fig. 53): 6.0× 2.4 mm. Veins orange centrally, brown marginally. Membrane extensively microtrichose (some proximal cells partly bare), distal veins bordered with pale brownish stain, proximal cells largely transparent. Haltere orange-brown with pale yellow knob.   
 Abdomen: Predominantly dark red-brown with yellow to orange patches, fine silver pruinose, whitish setose. T1 entirely dark red-brown; T2 dark red-brown with orange anterior region and large orange-yellow areas posterolaterally; T3–4 dark red-brown with small orange-yellow areas posterolaterally; T5–8 dark red-brown with orange posterior margins; terminalia orange. Sternites similar to tergites but somewhat obscured by overlapping tergites.   
 Genitalia (Figs 123–125): Epand bifid, forming pair of relatively long, slightly diverging (in dorsal view), slender lobes that project slightly beyond other genital structures. Lobes closely abut proximally, straight with slightly inwardly directed apices. Proct simple, dorsally situated cerc closely associated, not appearing fused proximally. Goncx well developed, outer lobe projecting posteriorly to relatively acute distal end; dorsal finger-like process completely absent; inner lobe well developed, distal end sharply pointed, well sclerotised and medially directed. Gonst laterally compressed, dorsally directed, tip curved anteriorly. Hypd moderately developed, suboval, about half as long as broad, distal margin uneven and slightly medially indented. Aed sub-triangular in ventral view with tiny bifid distal tip.   
Holotype: ♂ GAMBIA: ‘ Bansang [13°26'N: 14°39'W], Gambia, 10.v.77 Malaise in scrub / beside river’, ‘ W.F. Snow Collection / pres, W.F. Snow, 1996. / OUM 02-1996.’ (OXUM).  
 Note: This specimen was listed as an unidentified species of Ancylorhynchus in an analysis of Gambian Asilidae (Londt 2010: 346). I have also seen a pair of female specimens from Niger that may belong to this species, although they do not closely resemble the holotype and are not considered paratypes. The position of these specimens, listed below, will only be adequately ascertained when males from Niger becomes available: 2♀ ‘ Niger / Niamey [14°00'N: 01°43'E] 200m / 11 x.1976 / K. Guichard / BM1976–583’ (BMNH).   
Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from West Africa (Gambia,? Niger) (Table 1). The holotype was collected in May (Table 2), those from Niger being collected in October. The biology is unknown, although the type locality was ‘scrub / beside river’.  
 Similar species: A fairly distinctive member of the nomadus species-group without close similarities to other species.
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 521-522, DOI: 10.5733/afin.052.0214, http://zenodo.org/record/7917250