A survey of grassland Asilidae (Diptera) at Jacana Eco Estate, Hilton, South Africa

Abstract

A year-long survey of grassland Asilidae was undertaken at Jacana Eco Estate, Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The following 18 species of Asilidae, in alphabetical order, were encountered: Caenoura annulitarsis (Loew, 1858), Damalis monochaetes Londt, 1989, Dasophrys androclea (Walker, 1849), Dasophrys fortis Londt, 1981, Dasophrys tarsalis (Ricardo, 1920), Dasophrys umbripennis Londt, 1981, Dysclytus firmatus (Walker, 1857), Euscelidia vallis Dikow, 2003, Ischiolobos mesotopos Londt, 2005, Leptogaster sp., Melouromyia natalensis (Ricardo, 1919), Microstylum sp., Neolophonotus hirsutus (Ricardo, 1920), Neolophonotw variabilis Londt, 1986, Neolophonotus wroughtoni (Ricardo, 1920), Pegesimallus bicolor (Loew, 1858), Pegesimallus pedunculatus (Loew, 1858), Rhipidocephala obscurata Oldroyd, 1966. Their flight periods were recorded and tabulated. The variety and numbers encountered suggest that the grassland invertebrate community is healthy and that the grassland is worthy of its conservation status.