Conops (Asiconops) nubeculipennis Bezzi, 1901

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2019, New conopid records from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera: Conopidae). Part 2: Conopinae excluding Physocephalini, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 49 (2), pp. 277-349 : 294-295

Conops (Asiconops) nubeculipennis Bezzi, 1901

( Figs 21–23)

Conops nubeculipennis Bezzi, 1901: 21 .

Conops fenestralis Camras, 1962: 215 , n. syn.

Holotype of Conops fenestralis Camras, 1962 (examined): ♀ bearing following labels: (1) “ Holotypus / ♀ ”; (2) “ Coll. Mus. Congo / Lualaba : Kabongo / 15-XI-1952 / Ch. Seydel ”; (3) “ Holotype ♀ / Conops / fenestralis / Camras”; (4) “RMCA ENT / 000012169” ( MRAC).

Material examined: Benin: 1♂, Ahozon , forest area [6°22'57.59"N 2°09'15.92"E], iv.2008, G. Goergen ( IITA) ; 1♂, Calavi , sweep netting campus, 9.xii.2013, G. Goergen ( IITA) . Cameroon: 1♂, Duala , xii.1904, M. von Stefenelli ( SMTD) . Central African Republic: 1♀, Uamgebiet , Bosum [probably Bozoum; 6°19'N 16°22'E], 18.vi.1914, G. Tessmann, det. as C. nubeculipennis by KrÖber ( ZMHB) .

Eritrea: 1♀, “Aiaet” [possibly misspelt Ayet ; 14°57'N 39°42'E], 7.ii.1857, H. Swale, det. as C. nubeculipennis by Camras 2000 ( NHML NHMUK013644275 ) . Ethiopia: 1♀, SNNPR Turmi [4°58'N 36°31'E], 840 m, 9–11.iv.2016, J. Halada ( CULSP) . Kenya: 1♂, Nguruman , agriculture area [1°47.23'S 36°04.12'E], 6–8.x.1998, R. Copeland ( NMKE) ; 2♀, Rift Valley Province, Samburu National Reserve near Ewaso Ng'iro River [0.56797°N 37.53563°E], 874 m, 12–26.vi.2008, R. Copeland ( NMKE) ; 1♀, Rift Valley Province, Samburu National Reserve near Ewaso Ng'iro River [0.56797°N 37.53563°E], 874 m, riverine forest next to headquarter, Malaise trap, 24.vii–7.viii.2007, R. Copeland ( NMKE) .

Sudan: 1♂, Kartoum, 21.v.1921, R. Cottam, det. as C. nubeculipennis by KrÖber 1930 ( NHML NHMUK013644273 ) . Togo: 1♂, Agbodrafo , Lac du Togo, 10.xi.1990, G.G.M. Schulten ( RMNH) . Unknown country : 1♂, [symbols illegible], 2.viii.1910, H. Swale, det. as C. nubeculipennis by Bezzi 1924 ( NHML NHMUK013644274 ) .

Remarks: The specimens reported here fit the material I have seen from North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. There is obvious intraspecific variation concerning the colouration of head, thorax, abdomen and wing, and also the amount of dusting. Extremely dark female specimens can have an almost completely black scutum, black mediotergite, almost completely black abdomen, a distinct black stripe on the frons reaching from the antennae to the vertex and an obvious black spot on the facial keel. Some of the specimens I could not identify of the ater -group may also eventually turn out to be synonyms of Conops nubeculipennis .

The female holotype of Conops fenestralis fits completely C. nubeculipennis , and therefore Conops fenestralis Camras, 1962 is considered as a synonym of Conops nubeculipennis Bezzi, 1901 (n. syn.).

The only character that distinguishes C. nubeculipennis and C. ferruginosus Kröber, 1915 is the presence or absence of frontofacial spots. The size of the frontofacial spot varies in the material of C. ferruginosus that I have seen, and I cannot exclude that this character will eventually turn out to be variable too, thus undermining the present species-group arrangement and possibly necessitating further synonymies.