Atherigona ndumoensis, Muller, 2015

Muller, B. S., 2015, Illustrated key and systematics of male South African Atherigona s. str. (Diptera: Muscidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 845-845 : 886-887

Atherigona ndumoensis sp. n.

Fig. 24

Etymology: Named for the type locality Ndumo Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Diagnosis: This species is most similar to A. falcata , but differs from it in having the truncated apical area of the palpus much smaller than half the length of the entire palpus (as is the case in A. falcata ). A. ndumoensis further has its parafacial area grey dusted compared to A. falcata that has it golden dusted. The trifoliate process also differs in shape ( Fig. 24a vs. Fig 23a ).

Description:

Male.

Measurement s: Body length: 3.286 mm; wing: 2.88 mm; r­m crossvein ratio: 0.477.

Head: Ground colour brown. All head setae and setulae infuscated. Occiput grey dusted throughout with narrow median part glossy, laterally silver-grey dusted. Ocellar triangle silver-grey dusted. Frontal vitta yellow, somewhat darker around ocellar triangle. Frontal plate silver-grey dusted throughout with four pairs of proclinate frontal setae and two pairs of orbital setae. Parafacial silver-grey dusted, at narrowest just as wide as aristal base. Scape and pedicel ferruginous, postpedicel infuscated except for base which is ferruginous. Arista brown. Palpus yellow, apex truncated and dilated with hyaline hairs.

Thorax: Ground colour brown. Postpronotal lobe gold dusted, with three setae (one appearing as setulae) and six setulae. Pleura entirely silver-grey dusted; Proepisternum inconspicuous and gold dusted. Scutum grey dusted throughout, with three faint 2-4 dorsocentral vittae, stopping before scutellum. Scutellum grey dusted; one pair of basal setae, one pair of discal setae and eight discal setulae, one pair of subbasal setae and one pair of apical setae (subbasal pair equal to apical pair).

Legs: All legs yellow.

Leg chaetotaxy: Fore tarsi without any specialised chaetotaxy.

Wings: Hyaline. Veins light brown. Knob of halteres white with stalk yellow. Calypters white.

Abdomen: All tergites yellow; tergite 1+2 immaculate; tergite 3 with two small round markings (quite faint compared to most other species) taking up a third of dorsal surface; tergite 4 with small round markings, taking up a third of dorsal surface; tergite 5 immaculate. Hypopygial prominence knoblike, apically dilated with a pair of anteriorly projecting tubercles. Trifoliate process stem 1.8× the length of the apical process; trifoliate process infuscated except for hood and majority of stem which are light brown (stem apically hyaline); median piece dilated towards apex (appearing clublike), same general shape in lateral view, having four strong projecting setulae at apex; lateral plates 3× as wide as median piece in profile, with inner lobes. Surstylus without infuscation.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA : KwaZulu­Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve , Main camp area, 26°54.652'S 32°19.719'E, Broad-leafed deciduous woodland, 27–30.xi.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 14295).

Distribution: South Africa.

Figures

Figs 19–27. Atherigona spp.: trifoliate process and hypopygial prominence of (19) A. marginifolia van Emden; (20) A. erectisetula sp. n.; (21) A. humeralis (Wiedemann); (22) A. bundongoana van Emden; (23) A. falcata (Thomson); (24) A. ndumoensis sp. n.; (25) A. decempilosa Dike; (26) A. binubila van Emden; (27) A. piscatoris sp. n. Not to scale.