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Issue: Vol. 1041 No. 1: 26 Aug. 2005
Type: Monograph
Published: 2005-08-26
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1041.1.1
Page range: 1–76
Abstract views: 33
PDF downloaded: 2

Afroestricus, a new Afrotropical Ommatine (Diptera: Asilidae) genus with twenty species and two species groups

Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21252, USA
Diptera Asilidae Ommatiinae new genus Afroestricus Afrotropics new species species groups

Abstract

The new genus Afroestricus (Diptera: Asilidae) with 20 species, is described. Included are: A. abyssinia sp. n.; A. chiastoneurus (Speiser), A. eminentis, sp. n.; A. fulaui, sp. n.; A. hamulus, sp. n.; A. insectaris, sp. n.; A. kimerus, sp. n.; A. macroscelis (Bezzi), A. minutus (Bromley), A. morani, sp. n.; A. persuasus (Oldroyd), A. sadaukii, sp. n.; A. sankofa, sp. n.; A. variabilis (Engel), A. varipes (Curran), A. velatus, sp. n.; A. verutus, sp. n.; A. victus, sp. n.; A. vittatus (Curran), and A. vorax, sp. n. Afroestricus is distinctive in the following combination of characters: moderately gibbose face; frons with a wide, lateral, stripe of numerous setae; fore femur with a stout preapical, anteroventral bristle; and a prominent epiphallus that conceals the distiphallus dorsally, characters that are not congruent with Ommatius. New combinations include: A. chiastoneurus, A. macroscelis, A. minutus, A. persuasus, A. variabilis, A. varipes, and A. vittatus. New synonymies include: senax Bromley = chiastroneurus Speiser; munroi Bromley and bevisi Bromley = variabilis Engel; and garambensis Oldroyd = varipes Curran. The species are assigned to the macroscelis and minutus species groups based largely upon wing venation. The genus is largely confined to the Afrotropical region, between 17°N and 31°S latitude, with only the range of A. vittatus extending into western Yemen. The species show a relatively high level of sympatry. Descriptions, illustrations, and a key to the species are included. A brief discussion of the distribution and phenology of the species and a provisional key to the current Afrotropical genera and subgenera of Ommatiinae are also provided.

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