Enica Macquart, 1834

Rollinson, Lisa & Cabrero, Allan, 2025, Species discovery in Southern African bee flies (Diptera, Bombyliidae): A new species in the revised genus Enica Macquart, 1834, African Invertebrates 66 (1), pp. 73-115 : 73-115

Enica Macquart, 1834

Enica Macquart, 1834: 399. Type species: Anthrax longirostris Wiedemann, 1819, by monotypy ( Evenhuis and Greathead 2015).

Lagochilus Loew, 1860: 87.

Alonipola Rondani, 1863: 71.

Nomalonia Rondani, 1863: 71, syn. nov. Type species: Cyllenia afra Wiedemann, 1828, [misidentification = Nomalonia eremophila Hesse, 1975], by original designation ( Evenhuis and Greathead 2015).

Taxon depository.

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/ 62E96F05-7FF0-4960-8DCA-C2CECA96F6EB.

Diagnosis.

The genus can be delineated by its creamy white coloration found on the facial region, side of frons, and head behind the eyes. Body with bristles, dense scales on abdomen with dark brown or reddish scales, often with white band of scales on edges of tergites. Unlike other species in Cythereinae , males are holoptic, wing scales are present, and the hypandrium is not visible as a separate structure.

Distribution, biodiversity hotspots, phenology, and biology.

Known only from South Africa, primarily in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, and the western edge of the Eastern Cape (Fig. 1 ). The genus can be found in three biodiversity hotspots in South Africa, the Succulent Karoo, Cape Floristic Region, and the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany. Adult flies are active from August - January. Adult flies are pollinators and have been observed visiting flowers (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64518819). Larvae are unknown but presumed parasitoids as other Bombyliidae , hosts are unknown ( Yeates and Greathead 1997).

Figures

Figure 1. Map of southern Africa with elevational relief and biodiversity hotspots (sensu Conservation International in grey) and distribution records of examined specimens of all species within the genus Enica (in black).