Hippomachus mivatus Londt 1983, comb n.
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1983
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Hippomachus
Hippomachus mivatus

description: <i>Hippomachus mivatus</i> (Walker, 1871) <b>comb n.</b> Figs 2,8-12 <i>Asilus mivatus</i> Walker, 1871: 259. <i>Apoclea algira</i> Efflatoun, 1934: 93 (nec Fabricius, 1794). Hull, 1962: 454. <i>Neolophonotus mivatus;</i> Oldroyd, 1980: 341. Walker (1871) described <i>mivatus</i> on a single female specimen from Egypt 'Tajura, Waddy Nash'. For some reason unstated, Efftatoun (1934) placed this species (spelt <i>mivata)</i> as a synonym of <i>Apoclea algira</i> Fabricius. I have seen the type and can state with certainty that it is not an <i>Apoclea.</i> Hull (1962) accepted this synonymy while Oldroyd (1980) provisionally placed the species in the genus <i>Neolophonotus.</i> Although the type is in poor condition the wing is definitely that of a <i>Hippomachus.</i> I have seen a number of specimens from north-east Africa and believe that these are conspecific. Amongst these specimens are a few males which belong to <i>Hippomachus</i> but are distinct from <i>pegasus.</i> I therefore accept <i>mivatus</i> as a valid species of <i>Hippomachus</i> and provide the following brief description to supplement those of Walker (1871) and Efflatoun (1934) (who described the species under the name of <i>Hippomachus pegasus).</i> Redescription: Based on the holotype &lt;? but supplemented with data from other material examined. <i>Head:</i> Antenna similar to <i>pegasus,</i> bristles and setae of variable colour, predominantly blackish but there are usually some white ones as well. Mystax white with one or two black setae in extreme dorsal part. Ocellar setae dark red-brown. Postocular bristles white (yellowish in type), moderately well developed, proclinate. <i>Thorax:</i> Similar to <i>pegasus</i> but mane may have white setae in posterior one-quarter. Postpronotal lobes with only a few fine white setae. Three to four notopleural bristles, 2-3 supra-alars, 1 -3 (usually 2) postalars, all yellow-white. Scutellum with 8-10 white marginal bristles. Pleural setae white or yellow-white. Wing: Ranges from 5,6 x 1,7 (Quadda &amp;female;) to 8,4 x 2,6 mm (holotype). Venation of holotype as in Fig. 2; male wing similar to <i>pegasus.</i> Legs: Dark red-brown but proximodorsal part of tibia yellow-brown; bristles predominantly yellow-white but there are a few dark red-brown ones on most segments. <i>Abdomen:</i> Terga and sterna with moderately long white setae-no dark red-brown ones evident dorsally; terga with moderately well-developed white or yellow-white bristles along hind margin laterally. <i>&amp;male;</i> genitalia as in Figs 8-11, aedeagus with spiny projections laterally near tip. &amp;female; ovipositor (Fig. 12) similar to <i>pegasus.</i> Material examined: EGYPT: 1 &amp;female; holotype, Tajura, Straits, Bab-el-Mendeb, 1. H. Lord, Pres. R. Mandola (BMNH). DJIBOUTI: 1 <i>&amp;male;</i> (now defective), Djibouti, Maindron, 871-93 [1893] (MNP); 1 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Djibouti, H. Coutiere, 1897 (MNP); 1 <i>&amp;male;</i> 1 &amp;female;, Obock, Maindron, 871-93 (MNP); 3 &amp;female;, Obok [= Obock], 10usseaume, 7-97 [1897] (MNP). CENTRAL AFRICAN EMPIRE (?): 2 &amp;female;, Somalie Ang!., Quadda, 10usseaume, 7.97 (MNP). KENYA: 1 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Turkana, 20 km W. of Elige Springs, 03°16'N: 35°50'E., 427 m, 6.vi.1980, B. Lamoral (NM). The localities of Tajura and Quadda are given as being in Libya and the Central African Empire in atlases consulted but there may be other places bearing these names which do not appear in my sources of reference. 1. H. Lord apparently collected in Egypt and Arabia and so I assume Tajura is in Egypt. Quadda, according to the insect label, is in 'Somalie Angl.' (British Solaliland) which is part of present-day Somalia. I can find no such place in Somalia. The only place that I can find bearing this unusual name lies at 80°9 ' N: 22°20'E in the Central African Empire some distance west of Somalia. It is possible that the label data are incorrect. Remarks: H. <i>mivatus</i> is a widely distributed species which occurs in both the Afrotropical and Palaearctic Regions. While I have not seen the single male recorded by Efflatoun (1934) from Egypt (under H. <i>pegasus)</i> I am reasonably sure it must be conspecific with <i>mivatus.</i> The more important similarities being the black ocellar bristles and the form of the male genitalia. This Egyptian locality 'Gebel Alba (Wadi Kanssissrob) 29.i.1933, Farag Ayed' cited by Efflatoun could not be traced using sources available to me.
description: Published as part of <i>Londt, Jason G. H., 1983, Afrotropical Asilidae (Diptera) 9. The genus Hippomachus Engel, 1927 (Asilinae: Asilini), pp. 441-448 in ANNALS OF THE NATAL MUSEUM 25 (2)</i> on pages 444-446, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8374209
description: {"references": ["WALKER, F. 1871. List of Diptera collected in Egypt and Arabia, by J. K. Lord, Esq., with descriptions of the species new to science. Entomologist 5: 255 - 263.", "EFFLATOUN, H. C. 1934. A monograph of Egyptian Diptera. Part IV. Family Asilidae (Section 1) Mem. Soc. r. ent. Egypte 4 (2): 1 - 198.", "HULL, F. M. 1962. Robber Flies of the world. The genera of the family Asilidae. Bull. U. S. natn. Mus. 224 (1): 1 - 430, (2): 431 - 907. ..", "-- 1980. Asilidae. pp. 334 - 373. In: Crosskey, R. W. (ed). Catalogue of the Diptera of the Atrotropical Region. London: Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.)."]}