Calamoncosis agricola Wheeler & Solecki

Wheeler, Terry A. & Solecki, Anna M., 2013, New species of Calamoncosis Enderlein (Diptera: Chloropidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3702 (4), pp. 379-385 : 380-381

Calamoncosis agricola Wheeler & Solecki sp. n.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished from other described Afrotropical Calamoncosis by the wing venation; the absence of crossvein dm-cu is atypical for the genus.

Description: Total length: 1.4 mm (male), 2.1–2.5 mm (female); head + thorax length 1.0 (male), 1.3–1.4 (female). Overall colour shining black; head higher than long, frons densely microtomentose, appearing velvety, interfrontal and fronto-orbital setulae less dense than setulae on scutum, fine, black; frontal triangle 0.4–0.5 times length of frons, shining but striated, with setulae in irregular punctate row near lateral margin, slightly longer posteriorly, stronger than interfrontals; inner vertical seta barely differentiated from interfrontals, outer vertical seta, ocellars and postocellars stronger, black, ocellars reclinate, postocellars slightly convergent; eye with sparse ommatrichia, each hair approximately as long as diameter of 2 ommatidia; gena black, vibrissal angle obtuse, not extending beyond anterior margin of eye, genal height 0.2–0.3 times eye height; face black to dark brown, carina narrow, complete, antennae in deep foveae; antenna with pedicel dark yellow-brown, first flagellomere smaller than genal height, with angulate apex, dark yellow-brown, arista short, brown, pubescent with thick base; palpus small, dark-brown; proboscis brown, short.

Scutum shining but densely punctate, evenly covered with long, pale setulae; thoracic setae: 1 anterior and 2 posterior notopleural, 1 postalar, 1 postsutural intra-alar, 1 dorsocentral stronger and darker than surrounding setulae; scutellum round, slightly wider than long, punctate and rugose dorsally, apical scutellar setae dark, strong, slightly shorter than scutellum, arising from small but distinct tubercles, one pair of shorter and weaker subapical setae, arising from small but distinct tubercles, other scutellar setae as strong as scutal setulae; thoracic pleurites mostly bare and shining, katepisternum with sparse, fine, pale setulae ventrally. Legs: femora and tibiae dark brown with yellow apices (fore tibia more extensively yellow in females), tarsi yellow; male mid-femoral organ a dense patch of 25–30 small tubercles with minute setulae, hind-tibial organ indistinct, apparent as an oval, velvety patch. Wing faintly whitish in males, with darker veins anteriorly, faintly brownish in females with brown veins, a pronounced ventral bulge in cu p area, crossvein dm-cu absent; ratio of costal sectors C1: C2: C3: C4–0.8: 1.0: 0.6: 0.4; halter yellow.

Abdomen slightly paler than thorax, shining.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 1–3 ): epandrium higher than long in lateral view, broad in posterior view, with setae on posterior half; surstylus quadrate, broader at ventral apex with jagged margin, with sparse, weak setae; hypandrium robust anteriorly; pregonites, postgonites and phallic guide all well-sclerotized; postgonites with weak setulae posteriorly; basiphallus well-sclerotized, distiphallus longer than basiphallus, membranous; cerci fused medially, not projecting ventrally as in many Oscinellinae , indistinctly sclerotized; subepandrial sclerite not well-developed.

Female postabdomen with segments 8–10 laterally compressed and sclerotized, cerci laterally compressed, sclerotized, knifelike.

Type material: Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: East Transvaal: Guernsey Farm, 15km E Klaserie, 19– 31.xii.1985, P.M. Sanborne, Malaise (LEM). Paratypes: same data as holotype (3♀, LEM).

Etymology: The species name is a masculine noun from the Latin agricola (farmer), referring to the type locality.

Remarks: Based on the structure of the female ovipositor, this species would be assigned to the subgenus Rhaphiopyga Nartshuk.

Three additional specimens with the same collecting data (2 ♂, 1 ♀, LEM) are similar to C. agricola , including male genitalia, but vary in multiple characters including the presence of crossvein dm-cu, the colour of the halteres, and/or the shape of the antennae. Based on these differences, we have not included them as paratypes of C. agricola ; however, there is insufficient material to describe any of them as new species. In the absence of additional specimens from additional collecting events, we cannot determine whether C. agricola is a highly variable species, or whether there are additional sympatric species present.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Calamoncosis agricola. 1. male genitalia, lateral. 2. male genitalia, posterior. 3. male genitalia, ventral. Abbreviations: cer—cerci, epd—epandrium, sur – surstylus.