Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Promachus cf xanthotrichus, Zambia

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 20-04-2013 14:47
#1

Not a clue...

Location: Chongwe, Lusaka, Zambia.

Habitat: In formerly agricultural grassland, typically near trees/logpiles.

Date: February 2013.

Size 20-22mm? Large.

Frequently seen mating.

Edited by Will van Niekerk on 03-09-2014 17:32

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 20-04-2013 15:05
#2

Different specimen, from the side:

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 20-04-2013 15:06
#3

and wing:

Edited by Will van Niekerk on 20-04-2013 15:07

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 26-04-2013 22:23
#4

A bit of a guess Promachus sp. Wing venation and the fact there is gap between the antennae.

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 27-04-2013 12:56
#5

Thanks! Genus is usually enough for me... Unfortunately, I now have two quite different flies filed as possible Promachus, from the same location, so I'm going to have to do something about this...

According to the Biosystematic Database of World Diptera, there are... several species of Afrotropical Promachus... (Madagascar endemics and one species known only from Eritrea not included)...

Promachus abdominalis (Malawi)
Promachus adamsii (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda)
Promachus aequalis (S. A., Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania)
Promachus albicinctus (S. A.)
P. apicalis (Zimbabwe)
P. argentipennis (Sudan)
P. aurulans (Tanzania)
P. binucleatus (Ethiopia)
P. bomensis (Congo)
P. bottegoi (Ethiopia)
P. brevipennis (Uganda)
P. breviventris (Kenya, Tanzania)
P. chalcops (Tanzania)
P. cinereus (Zimbabwe)
P. enucleatus (Tanzania)
P. flavopilosus (Malawi, Uganda)
P. floccosus (Nigeria)
P. gossypiatus (Tanzania, Malawi)
P. grisiventris (Sudan, Egypt)
P. hirsutus (Zimbabwe)
P. mediospinosus (Cameroon, Nigeria)
P. negligens (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia)
P. obscuripes (Malawi)
P. pontifex (Tanzania)
P. rapax (Zanzibar)
P. rectangularis (Eritrea, Ethiopia)
P. rex (Tanzania)
P. ruepelli (Ethiopia)
P. reuppelli (Eritrea)
P. rufescens (Sierra Leone)
P. rufihumeralis (South Africa)
P. scalaris (South Africa)
P. simpsoni (Ghana, Nigeria)
P. subtilis (Congo)
P. tewfiki (Egypt, Sudan)
P. tewfikis (Sudan)
P. transvaalensis (South Africa)
P. trichozoans (Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Togo)
P. ugandiensis (Uganda, Malawi)
P. xanthotrichus (Gabon, Angola, Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa)


Now I just have to eliminate most of those!

Posted by Quaedfliegh on 04-05-2013 22:03
#6

If i can find a key to the afrotropical Promachus species i will let you know. I think Londt could have written one.

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 08-05-2013 16:03
#7

I'll look out for it, Thanks.

Posted by Will van Niekerk on 03-09-2014 17:30
#8

Belated update: found Ricardo's 1920 paper on Promachus (Annals & Magazine of Natural History, series 9, vol 5), from which this should be P. xanthotrichus.

Because of its date of publication, this does not rule out: P. aurulans (Tanzania); P. bomensis or P. subtilis (Congo); P. cinereus or P. hirsutus (both Zimbabwe); P rufihumeralis or P. transvaalensis (South Africa).

Will update again one the original sources for these have been located...