Ancylorhynchus simpsoni 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 simpsoni

description: Ancylorhynchus simpsoni sp. n.   Figs 22, 52, 120–122  
Etymology: Named after the collector of the holotype J.J. Simpson.  
Description:  
 Male (based on holotype. Condition: Fair; double mounted on cellulose strip; both antennae broken off beyond pedicels; right prothoracic leg broken off beyond femur, left prothoracic leg broken off beyond first tarsomere; right wing with small part of anterior margin missing, left wing intact but glued to specimen with clear nail-varnish.).   
 Head: Dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, white setose.Antenna (Fig. 22): Scape and pedicel dark red-brown to black, white setose, postpedicel missing (relative sizes of scape and pedicel suggest that there would be a long postpedicel lacking terminal stylus ‘segment’). Segmental ratios: 1:0.3:?. Face dark red-brown to black, fairly uniformly silver pruinose, mystax white occupying ventral ⅓ of face. Frons and vertex dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, white setose; ocellar tubercle fine pale yellow setose (no macrosetae). Occiput dark red-brown to black, uniformly strongly silver pruinose, white setose. Palpus dark red-brown, white setose, terminal palpomere swollen, apex with terminal sensory pit. Proboscis red-brown, white setose.   
 Thorax: Fairly uniform dark red-brown to black, fine silver-grey pruinose, white setose. Prothorax entirely black, fine silver pruinose, white setose. Mesonotum dark red-brown to black, fine silver-grey pruinose, fine moderately long white setose (some rubbed off in region of pin). Mesonotal macrosetae (whitish when present): dc white, confined to region posterior to transverse suture, 3 npl, 1 spal, 3 pal. Scutellum entirely dark red-brown to black, fine silver pruinose, disc sparsely white setose, hind margin with c. 10 white moderately developed macrosetae accompanied by minor setae. Pleura entirely blackish, entirely silver-grey pruinose, setae white confined mainly to anepst, kepst and ktg. Anatg and mes pnot dark red-brown to black, not contrasting with scutellum. Legs: cx dark red-brown to black, silver pruinose, white setose; tro dark red-brown (tro 2 with row of short black setae ventrally); fem, tib and tar uniformly dark red-brown to black, entirely white setose, claws dark red-brown with orange proximal parts. Wings (Fig. 52): 9.9× 4.1 mm. Veins dark red-brown. Membrane extensively microtrichose (some proximal cells partly bare), mostly red-brown stained (anal cell and alula transparent). Haltere orange, base dark red-brown.   
 Abdomen: Predominantly orange with blackish parts anteriorly, fine silver pruinose, white setose. T1 dark red-brown to blackish, strongly silver pruinose; T2 dark red-brown except for orange posterior margin, strongly silver pruinose except medially; T3 orange except for dark red-brown medial spot, weakly silver pruinose; T4 as T3 but medial spot small; T5 uniformly orange, weakly silver pruinose; T6–terminalia dissected and macerated. Sternites essentially similar to tergites.   
 Genitalia (Figs 120–122): Epand bifid, forming pair of robust, somewhat parallel lobes that jut out beyond all other genital structures. Lobes closely abut proximally, each being slightly curved such that distal tips are inwardly directed. Proct simple, dorsally situated cerc appearing fused proximally. Goncx well developed, outer lobe projecting posteriorly to fairly broadly-rounded tip and with characteristic indented posteroventral margin; dorsal finger-like process not evident. Gonst compressed, dorsally directed, tip curved anteriorly. Hypd relatively weakly developed, about twice as wide as long in ventral view, tapering distally to pair of flattened, setose lobes. Aed sub-triangular, fairly stout, pair of distal projections and tiny bifid tip.   
Holotype: ♂ NIGERIA: ‘ Zungeru [09°49'N: 06°09'E] / N. Nigeria / 1 xi.1910 / J.J. Simpson’ (BMNH).  
 Note: Another male (ZSMC), also collected at Zungeru, has been assigned to nomadus. That specimen, collected by Dr. J.W. Scott Macfie in March, clearly represents a different species.   
Distribution, phenology and biology: Known only from the type locality in northern Nigeria, West Africa (Table 1). The species has only been collected in November (Table 2). The biology is unknown, but the type locality is situated in the savanna biome.  
 Similar species: A member of the nomadus species-group with close similarities to nomadus.
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 520-521, DOI: 10.5733/afin.052.0214, http://zenodo.org/record/7917250