Physiphora maraisi sp. n.

Figures 231–243.

Material. Type. Holotype ♂: Namibia: Lüderitz Dist., Klinghardt Mountains, at: 27º20′ 04″S 15º46′00″E, Malaise trap sample, 27.viii–3.ix.1998 (Kirk-Spriggs & Marais) (NICW). Paratype ♀: Namibia: same label as in holotype (NICW).

Diagnosis. This species differs from other Physiphora by the combination of fore metatarsus creamy white (basally and apically darkened), frons matt, flat and relatively narrow with pair of large oval parafrontal spots of white microtrichia and shining black vertical plates, dorsal half of face with entire transverse microtrichose band, and ventral part black rugulose with cyan sheen, scutum and scutellum densely rugulose with green and cyan tinge, and tergites 1–4 of male with golden and greenish sheen. It is similar to P. meyi sp. n. in having white fore basitarsomere, matt frons, golden, matt abdominal tergites of male, differing by the entirely hyaline wing (apically spotted in P. meyi sp. n.), narrower head and frons, and male tergite 5 shining black (matt with golden tinge in P. meyi sp. n.).

Description. Head (Figs. 233–234) black, with partly brown frons, face and gena. Frons 1.4 (♂)–2.0 (♀) times as long as wide, black in posterior half, reddish brown in anterior half, matt with large oval parafrontal microtichose spot not reaching anterior margin (Fig. 234), flat without expressed calluses, slightly concave at middle, finely setulose in anterior half. Vertical plates and ocellar triangle shining black; 2 pairs of black orbital setae; ocellar setae lateroclinate, as long as orbital setae.

Face black, facial carina partly brown in dorsal half, with entire transverse microtrichose area widely fused with microtrichose areas of antennal grooves; epistome and lateral parts of face rugulose, with metallic greenish or bluish reflections. Gena brown, 1/3 times as high as eye; parafacial and facial ridge with narrow white microtrichose stripe; gena posteriorly without microtrichose mark separating it from entirely shining black postgena (Fig. 233). Occiput entirely black. Medial vertical seta 0.7–0.9 times as long as frons width, 1.4 times as long as lateral vertical and 4 times as long as ocellar and orbital setae, and 2.5 times as long as postocellar setae. Antenna brown to black; flagellomere 1 mostly black, rounded apically, 2.2–2.3 times as long as wide, greyish microtrichose; arista bare, brown in basal 1/5, remainder black. Clypeus black. Palp black, grey microtrichose and black setose. Mouthparts black.

Thorax (Figs. 231–232). Scutum and scutellum black, densely rugulose, almost matt, with green tinge and light cyan to golden reflections; antepronotum, anterior portion of postpronotal lobe, posterior surface of notopleural triangle, anterior half of anepisternum and katepisternum, and whole anepimeron shining black, with faint golden sheen; posterodorsal parts of anepisternum and katepisternum shagreened; supra-alar area and tympanal fossa matt dark brown, postscutellum black, sparsely gray microtrichose; postero-ventral margin of scutellum without microtrichose area; anatergite, katatergite and lateroventral parts of mediotergite grey microtrichose. Mesonotal scutum with fine, poorly visible yellowish or whitish setulae (Fig. 232); acrostichal seta indistinguishable; dorsocentral setae hair-like; other setae moderately long, black: one postprononal, 2 postsutural supra-alar, one intra-alar and one postalar.

Scutellum densely rugulose, with deep cyan, green or golden reflection, with 5–6 blackish submarginal setulae (1/3–1/6 times as long as setae) and 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with yellow veins; cell r4+5 narrowly closed, apical section of M arcuate (Fig. 235). Postero-apical extension of cell cup 0.5–0.6 times as long as vein A1+CuA2, and only 2–2.5 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2. Calypters with white fringe. Length: 2.7–2.8 mm.

Legs. Black except fore tarsus with basitarsomere creamy yellow medially, with basal and apical 1/6 dark brown, mid- and hind tarsi yellow except two apical tarsomeres brown; all setae black; fore femur postero-ventrally with 4–5 long and almost non-modified setae in apical half.

Abdomen. Both tergites and sternites black; with tergites 1–4 strongly greenish gold shining, laterally micropapillose; tergite 5 of male and female conspicuously shagreened, with golden sheen, in male with green or purple reflections; all setulae black; abdominal tergite 1 basally grey microtrichose; female abdominal tergite 2 with pair of dimple-like structures laterally.

Male postabdomen brown to black; epandrium as on Figs. 239–241, cerci with small triangular nipple-like structures; phallus with stipe as long as preglans and glans; caecum 3 times as long as stipe width; preglans with bare (Fig. 237); glans mainly membranous, with one long lobe and 5–7 shorter spine- or petal-shaped lobes (Fig. 238). Hypandrium (Figs. 239, 242) asymmetric.

Female terminalia not dissected.

Distribution. Namibia.

Biology unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Eugene Marais, one of collectors of the type specimens, and other Namibian specimens of Physiphora this study is based on.