Spheginobaccha stuckenbergi, Thompson & Hauser, 2015

Thompson, F. Christian & Hauser, Martin, 2015, In honor of Brian Stuckenberg: Two new Spheginobaccha species of flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the Afrotropics, African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 769-769 : 770-772

Spheginobaccha stuckenbergi sp. n.

Figs 1–3

Etymology: Many species of Spheginobaccha have been named after distinguished dipterists associated with this genus or other flower flies. So, we here dedicate this species to Brian Roy Stuckenberg (1930.iv.07 – 2009.ii.08; see Kirk-Spriggs (2012)), who made the first modern revision of the genus Paragus Latreille , using male genitalic characters ( Stuckenberg 1954 a, b).

Description:

Male.

Length: Body (HT), 13 mm; wing (HT), 9 mm.

Head: Face yellow, sparsely white pollinose medially, denser laterally, white pilose; gena narrow, brownish yellow, white pilose; lunule reddish brown; frons reddish brown, shiny on medial 4⁄5, narrowly golden pollinose laterally and dorsally, yellowish-white pilose; vertex reddish brown, indistinctly rugose, with fine longitudinal grooves, sparsely greyish-white pollinose, yellow pilose; ocelli distinct, normal; ocellar triangle isosceles, about twice as broad as long; occiput blackish-brown, silvery pollinose, white pilose on ventral ⅔, on dorsal ⅓ reddish brown, sparsely pollinose, white pilose. Antenna orange, black pilose; basoflagellomere large, triangular, about ½ as long as broad; arista black except orange base, as long as basoflagellomere.

Thorax: Postpronotum yellow, shiny, white pilose; scutum reddish brown except broadly yellow laterally, sparsely greyish-white pollinose, yellow pilose except bare medially and sublaterally in the form of vittae; postalar callus yellow, yellow pilose; scutellum reddish brown, greyish-white pollinose, yellow pilose; pleuron yellow except black macula posterior to postpronotum, black vitta dorsad to mesocoxa and around metathoracic spiracle, sparsely pollinose except densely silvery white pollinose on katepisternum and posterior anepisternum, white pilose; calypter white; halter yellowish white. Legs: coxae brownish to black, sparsely pollinose, black pilose; trochanters yellowish brown, shiny, black pilose; femora reddish brown to black except basal ¼ and apex white, black pilose except pale on pale areas; protibia brownish black except basal ¼ white, black pilose except pale on pale areas; meso and metatibia brownish black except basal ⅓ white, black pilose except pale on pale areas; tarsi brownish orange, black pilose. Wing: hyaline except dark brown on stigma and area anterior to vein Rs; microtrichose except bare as follows: cell r on basal ¾ posterior to spurious vein, cell bm on basal ⅔, cell cup on basal 4⁄5, anal lobe on basal ½ and all of alula.

Abdomen: Petiolate; 1 st segment short, slightly triangular, about 1⁄8 (0.12) as long as abdomen; 2 nd segment cylindrical, about ⅓ (0.28) as long as abdomen; 3 rd segment triangular, about twice as wide apically as basally, about ¼ (0.24) as long as abdomen; 4 th segment cylindrical, about ⅓ (0.36) as long as abdomen; 1 st tergum shiny bluish grey (steel-blue), grey pollinose, white pilose; 2 nd tergum bluish grey, sparsely silvery pollinose except for denser basolateral triangular macula, white pilose; 3 rd tergum brownish black and black pilose on basal ⅓, bluish grey on apical ⅔. with silvery pollinose macula on medial ⅓, sparsely pollinose apically, white pilose on apical ⅔; 4 th tergum brownish black and black pilose on basal 1⁄5, bluish grey elsewhere except apical margin pale yellowish, with narrow slivery pollinose macula posterior to basal black area, elsewhere sparsely pollinose, white pilose; 1 st and 2 nd sterna light brownish yellow, sparsely pollinose, white pilose; 3 rd and 4 th sterna light brownish, black pilose except yellow pilose on apical margin of 4 th; male genitalia yellowish brown, white pilose; cercus yellow.

Holotype ♂: MADAGASCAR. Mahajanga Province, Majunga Analamanitra Forest, 14 km northeast of Misingo , 16°08'S 45°42'E, 11–18.xii.2007, M. E. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, dense dry forest, 65 ft [19.8 m], MG-3811, CASLOT 034973 (deposited in CAS).

Paratypes: 3♂ data same as holotype (1♂ USNM, 2♂ CAS) ; 1 ♀ same as holotype, except 16–23.x.2007 ( CAS) ; 1♂ Namoroka Village , Befatika Andranovary, 7km nortwest of Vilanandro Village, 16°28.4'S 45°23.48'E, 9–16.xii.2007, M. E. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, dense dry forest, 400 ft [122 m], MG-40B-12 ( USNM) ; 2♂ Majunga Ambatofolaka , Namoroka , 53 km from Soalala, 3 km north of Vilanando Village, 16°28.04'S 45°23.48'E, 16–28.xii.2007, M. E. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap, dense dry forest, 400 ft [122 m] ( CAS) ; 1♂ Parc National , Tsingy de Bemaraha, 3.4 km Bekpaka, Tombeau Vazimba, 19°08'31"S 44°49'41"E, 50 m, 6–10.xi.2001, B. Fisher, lot BLF 4233 (deposited in CSCA) .

Remarks: Spheginobaccha stuckenbergi is most similar to guttula , both occur in Madagascar, and both have similar antennae, but the new species differs clearly in abdominal pattern and wing microtrichia.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Spheginobaccha stuckenbergi sp. n. Holotype ♂ (Madagascar): (1) habitus, dorsal; (2) head, lateral view; (3) male genitalia, lateral view.