Atherigona (s. str.) zongoi, Deeming, 2022

Deeming, John C., 2022, Some Afrotropical species of Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae) revisited and a new species described, European Journal of Taxonomy 847 (1), pp. 121-144 : 134-140

Atherigona (s. str.) zongoi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F164A4E6-522D-4F57-9DA0-A06153A6AB78

Figs 4–7

Diagnosis

This species is very similar to A. kenierobaensis Muller & Mostovski, 2018 from Mali, differing from it in having the occiput grey dusted throughout, the frontal plate with only a slight indication of shine between the upper three orbital setae, the fore leg yellow throughout, the fore tarsus with specialised chaetotaxy on anterior surface. The hypopygial prominence and trifoliate process of the two species show strong similarities to one another, but in A. zongoi sp. nov. the hypopygial prominence is deeper than wide, rather than wider than deep, the trifoliate process has only traces of infuscation and its median lobe, though bearing a very similar chaetotaxy, very strongly bent when viewed in profile rather than almost straight ( Fig. 4b ). In the most recent key to Nigerian Atherigona ( Dike 1990) it would trace to A. africana Deeming, 1971 but that species has an entirely black trifoliate process, the median lobe of which bears only minute apical setae. The new species is also very similar to A. piscatoris Muller, 2015 in the shape of the hypopygial prominence, as well as in the shape of the median lobe when viewed laterally, but looks quite different when viewed ventrally, although the dark colour in Fig. 7a is an optical artefact.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the collector’s name (J.O. Zongo) in whose honour the species is named.

Material examined

Holotype BURKINA FASO • ♂; Bobo Dioulasso , Farako Bâ ; Aug. 1988; J.O. Zongo leg.; on fishmeal bait in sorghum field; NMWC.

Paratypes BURKINA FASO • 8 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; NMWC • 3 ♂♂ (on same mount, 1 fragmented); same collection data as for holotype; Aug.–Oct. 1978; R.T. Gahuhar leg.; NMWC .

GUINÉE [ GUINEA] • 1 ♂; Nimba ; Jul.–Dec. 51 [1951]; Lamotte and Roy leg.; MNHN .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length, male 3.7 mm; wing, 2.3 mm.

Male

HEAD ( Fig. 6a ). Black, with black setae; frontal vitta black and with heavy grey dusting, which is less dense on superior orbits and becomes brownish on occiput; 2 long and 1 short inferior orbital seta; frontofacial angle 93°, parafacialia at this point broad and prominent, becoming as broad as base of arista at narrowest part, just above base of vibrissa; genal setae weak and short; antenna and palpus black, but basal half of arista brownish; setae on truncate apex of male palpus pale.

THORAX ( Fig. 5a–b ). Scutum and scutellum dark in ground colour, grey dusted, former with an indication of a darker median vitta presuturally; postpronotal lobe yellow and pleura dirty yellow, but somewhat infuscate on parts of anepisternum, anepimeron and katepisternum, pleural dusting more yellow; anepisternum with a strong seta at the lower posterior corner and 2 shorter setae above it; katepisternum with 3 setae in an isosceles triangle; all setae and setulae black.

WING. Hyaline with yellowish brown veins and anterior crossvein situated at 0.4 of length of discal cell; haltere creamy white.

LEGS. Yellow, apical 3 segments of fore tarsus ( Figs 4e , 6b ) with a comb of curved setae anteriorly, longest seta over twice as long as tarsus is wide.

ABDOMEN. Yellow and yellowish grey dusted; tergite 3 with a pair of long oval black spots occupying quite two thirds of its length; tergite 4 with a pair of short oval black spots on apical half; remaining tergites immaculate.

POSTABDOMEN. Trifoliate process ( Figs 4a–b , 7a–b ) yellow, with apices of lobes becoming white, stem somewhat infuscate, as also is a line extending to the shoulders of the lateral lobes; the pair of long setae on apex of median lobe of trifoliate process pale.

HYPOPYGIAL PROMINENCE ( Fig. 4c–d ).

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

Burkina Faso, Guinea.

Figures

Fig. 4. Atherigona zongoi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NMWC). a. Trifoliate process, ventral. b. Same, lateral. c. Hypopygial prominence, posterior. d. Same, lateral. e. Fore tarsus.

Fig. 5. Atherigona zongoi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NMWC), habitus. a. Lateral view. b. Dorsal view.

Fig. 6. Atherigona zongoi sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NMWC). a. Head, anterior oblique view. b. Fore tarsus, dorsal view.

Fig. 7. Atherigona zongoi sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (NMWC). a. Trifoliate process, lateral oblique view. b. Same, ventral view.