Pycnomerinx cogani , Oldroyd 1974
Creators: name: Londt, Jason G. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1990
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Asilidae
Pycnomerinx
Pycnomerinx cogani

description: <i>Pycnomerinx cogani</i> Oldroyd, 1974 Figs 11-13, 17 <i>Pycnomerinx cogani</i> Oldroyd, 1974:62; 1980:367. <i>Pycnomerinx moremensis</i> Oldroyd, 1974:62; 1980:367. Syn. n. Oldroyd (1974) described this species in a key. The full description reads as follows- 'Legs entirely black. Abdomen in both sexes sharply divided; first four segments black with broad, grey hind margins; segments 5-7 bright orange; terminalia black. Wings strongly spotted on forks and crossveins.' The available material was not fully itemised. All we are told is ' Type in London' and that the type-locality is 'Botswana, 16 km NE Ghanzi... '. I have seen all the BM material and find that there are four specimens bearing this locality data, only one of which bears a 'type' label, as well as a number of other specimens collected during the same expedition. As there is no mention of paratypes in the formal description it must, unfortunately, be assumed that none of the other specimens have any type status. Redescription: Based on holotype male unless otherwise stated. Similar to <i>P. rhodesii</i> except for the following features. <i>Head:</i> Silver pruinose; all setae white. Antennae dark red-brown with yellow-white setae on scape and pedicel. Head width: face width ratio 4,1:1. Mystax shiny white. <i>Thorax:</i> Gold-silver and silver-gold pruinose. Mesonotal setae shiny orange-yellow anteriorly and laterally, longish dark red-brown centrally and posteriorly. Macrosetae: 3 npl, <i>ca</i> 8 spal, <i>ca</i> 4 pal; acr absent and dc weak anteriorly; these setae moderately developed and forming part of a cluster of yellow and dark red-brown setae postsuturally. Scutellum with <i>ca</i> 12 yellow-white macrosetae and many paler setae marginally. Wing: 7,2 x 2,1 mm. Venation similar to <i>rhodesii,</i> brown; membrane slightly stained at some forks and crossveins. Legs: Dark red-brown. Length of tarsus <i>ca</i> 60-65 % that of tibia. <i>Abdomen:</i> Dark red-brown to black anteriorly, T 5 partly orange-brown, T 6-8 largely orange-brown. Genitalia dark red-brown (topotypic <i>&amp;male;</i> illustrated-Figs 11-13). Female: Similar to <i>&amp;male;.</i> Variation: There is a small degree of individual variation within populations. The dark pleural spot is not always as obvious as in the holotype. Specimens from the Moremi Reserve (including type of <i>moremensis)</i> have legs largely orange-brown. Synonymy: Oldroyd described <i>P. moremensis</i> on a single female specimen. Apart from having orange-brown legs this specimen appears to be conspecific with <i>cogani.</i> Two other female specimens from the <i>moremensis</i> type-locality are available; one is similar to the holotype, the other has entirely dark red-brown legs. I do not accept the leg colour as sufficient grounds for the recognition of <i>moremensis</i> and therefore synonymise it with <i>cogani</i> at least until males with orange-brown legs are available. Material examined: BOTSWANA: 3 &amp;female; (inc. holotype <i>P. moremensis</i> Oldroyd), Moremi Reserve, 19°23'S, 23 °33'E (B11), 18-20.iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 2 &amp;female;, L. Ngami, 12 mls NE Sehithwa [= Sehitwa 20 023'S: 22 °45'E] (B9), 16-17.iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 2 <i>&amp;male;</i> Kuke Pan, 20 059'S, 22°25'E (B7), 14-15.iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 2 <i>&amp;male; 1&amp;female;,</i> 3 mls NE Maun [20 000'S: 23 °25'E] (B 17), 2l. iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM NM); 1 <i>&amp;male; 1&amp;female;,</i> Makarikari Pans, 20 008'S, 25 °32'E (B20), 22-23.iv. 1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 1 &amp;female;, 2 mls N Gweta (B 19), 20 011'S, 25°15'E, 22.iv. 1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); 2 <i>&amp;male;</i> (inc. holotype <i>P. cogani</i> Oldroyd) 2 &amp;female;, 10 mls NE Ghanzi [22 °00'S:22 °OO'E] (B6), 14. iv.1972, Sth Afr Exp BM 1972-1 (BM); NAMIBIA: 1 &amp;female;, Onze Rust 192, 24°09'S, 18 °02'E, 17-18.v.1973, Jacot-Guillarmod (AM). SOUTH AFRICA: <i>Cape Province:</i> 1 &amp;female;, Roaring Sands Resort nr. Witsand, 2822CB, 17-18.iii.1982, J. Londt &amp; L. Schoeman, <i>Acacia</i> woodland (NM). ZIMBABWE: 1 <i>&amp;male;,</i> Matetsi [18 °14'S:25 °59'E], ii. 1934, R. H. R. Stevenson (BM). Distribution: Apparently limited to southern Africa. Known from seven localities in Botswana, one in Namibia, one in Zimbabwe, and one in the northern Cape Province of South Africa (Fig. 17). Ecology: Only one specimen, collected in <i>Acacia</i> woodland, has any information concerning the type of habitat occupied by this species. In this respect it is similar to <i>rhodesii.</i> The species has, however, not been collected sympatrically with <i>rhodesii.</i> On the other hand <i>cogani</i> has been collected sympatrically with <i>gweta</i> from which it is readily distinguishable. Records indicate that adults, like <i>rhodesii,</i> 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 26-28, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8383759
description: {"references": ["-- 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."]}