Curtonotum freidberg Kirk-Spriggs, 2013

Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H. & Wiegmann, Brian M., 2013, <p> <strong> A revision of Afrotropical Quasimodo flies (Diptera: Schizophora; Curtonotidae). Part IV — the continental Afrotropical species of <em> Curtonotum </ em> Macquart, with descriptions of thirteen new species and a combined phylogenetic analysis of the Curtonotidae </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3684 (1), pp. 1-166 : 82-84

Curtonotum freidberg Kirk-Spriggs , sp. n.

Figs 114 , 138 , 174 , 240, 243, 246 , 297 , 325 , 326 .

Etymology. The specific epithet freidberg is a noun in apposition, named in honour of Amnon Freidberg, in recognition of his contribution to our knowledge of African Diptera .

Description: Male (primarily based on field-pinned HT).

As redescribed for C. campsiphallum (above), differing in the following respects:

Measurements: Overall length unknown; length of head and thorax combined 1.2–1.9 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 1.6–1.8 mm; wing length 2.7–3 mm (n = 5, PT).

Head ( Figs 114 , 138 ). Eye height/length ratio: 7:4 (n = 1, HT); frons ( Fig. 138 ) wider than long, frons length/ width ratio: 4:7 (n = 1, HT), orbital plates wide; anterior orbital seta inserted beyond ½ length of frons at lateral edge of orbital plate; posterior orbital seta slightly longer than lateral vertical seta; arista with 7–8 long dorsal branches and 3 or 4 ventral branches; vibrissae strong with 7 fine setae bordering genal groove; gena narrow, eye height/genal height ratio: 7:1 (n = 1, HT), silver pruinose throughout.

Thorax ( Fig. 114 ). Mesonotum golden-grey pruinose, with four narrow parallel brown pruinose vittae rather poorly defined; acrostichal setae finer and shorter than anterior dorsocentral seta; postpronotum with 8 fine blackbrown setulae; anepisternum with 15 fine setulae scattered across surface, 2 arranged together in posterior corner; katepisternum surface with 13 short, fine setulae.

Legs. Fore coxa with 7 brown setulae on anterior surface; fore tibia with ctenidium of 9–10 short, sharp, black spinules.

Wing ( Fig. 174 ). Dm–cu crossvein acutely angled posteriorly.

Abdomen. Tergites 3–5 with well developed “T-shaped” brown lateral maculae, but not merging with median fascia; sternites 5 and 6 ( Fig. 297 ); sternite 5 subrectangular, with distinct sclerotised black, indented arc subapically; sternite 6 narrowed in basal ⅔, then expanded apically, lateral maculae longitudinally, medially divided, with sparse short setulae, those at apical margin longer and stronger.

Terminalia ( Figs 240, 243, 246 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 240 , hy) short; hypandrial arms narrow basally (viewed laterally), sclerotised area of medial lobes (viewed dorsally) well separated; postgonite (pg); epandrium (ep); cercus (ce); surstylus (ss); phallus (as in Figs 243 , ph, bp, dp; 246, bp, dp); phallapodeme ( Fig. 243 , ph); ejaculatory apodeme (ea); basiphallus ( Figs 243, 246 , bp) narrow, basally, not expanded apically, with brown, sclerotised, elongate baso-ventral process, with one medium-sized tooth-like serration on posterior margin and one smaller serration on anterior margin, whole structure forming a submedially contracted plate viewed from left side ( Fig. 246 ); distiphallus ( Figs 243, 246 , dp) brown, heavily sclerotised, long, scimitar-like (viewed laterally), membranous area narrow.

♀ Unknown.

Variation. No substantial variation is noted.

Differential diagnosis. Curtonotum freidberg sp. n. is probably most closely-related to a group of two other species having the vittae on the mesonotum weakly defined, male sternite 5 expanded or otherwise modified, the basiphallus narrow and elongated and the membranous area of the distiphallus narrow ( C. quinquevittatum and C. angolenese ). They are separable by use of the above key.

Type material examined. MALAWI: holotype ♂, “ MALAWI: North / Viphya Mts., 1500m / Rt.M1, 21- 22.ix.1998 / 10km S Chikangawa / F. KAPLAN & / A. FREIDBERG // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / freidberg sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 [printed; red card]” (TAU). In good condition; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen. Paratypes (all labelled: “ PARATYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / freidberg sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 [printed; blue card]”): 6♂, same data as holotype (TAU).

Distribution. Malawi ( Figs 325 , 326 ). Apparently confined to higher elevation (1500 m) Afromontane forests of the Great Rift Valley, in the Viphya Mountains of north-central Malawi ( Fig. 325 ).

Bionomics. Occurring in the Southern Rift Montane Forest habitat type; Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests vegetation type (Appendix III) .

Figures

FIGURE 325. Distribution of continental Afrotropical species of Curtonotum. Topographical: C. angolense, C. campsiphallum, C. freidberg sp. n. and C. hay sp. n.

FIGURE 326. Distribution of continental Afrotropical species of Curtonotum. Major Habitat Types: C. angolense, C. campsiphallum, C. freidberg sp. n. and C. hay sp. n.

FIGURES 112–117. Head and thorax (lateral view) of Afrotropical Curtonotum spp. (all males). 112. C. angolense (PT, Angola, 10 mi. NE Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], CAS). 113. C. campsiphallum (N-T, Cameroon, Limbe (shore), TAU). 114. C. freidberg sp. n. (PT, Malawi, Viphya Mnts., TAU). 115. C. hay sp. n. (PT, Uganda, Mujenje, HNHM). 116. C. quinquevittatum (N-T, Malawi, Viphya Mnts., TAU). 117. C. sao (N-T, Nigeria, Gadau, BMNH). Not to scale.

FIGURES 130–141. Frons of Afrotropical Curtonotum spp. (male unless stated). 130. C. herrero (N-T, Namibia, Amkarub 269, NMNW). 131. C. maculiventris (N-T, [Zimbabwe], Chipinda Pools, BMNH). 132. C. striatifrons (N-T, Nigeria, Gadau, BMNH). 133. C. marriott sp. n. (♀ PT, Cameroon, Kriba (beach), TAU). 134. C. moffatt sp. n. (PT, Uganda, Mujenje, HNHM). 135. C. platyphallum (♀ N-T, Liberia, 8 mi. NW Zorzor, CAS). 136. C. angolense (PT, Angola, 10 mi. NE Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], CAS). 137. C. campsiphallum (N-T, Cameroon, Limbe (shore), TAU). 138. C. freidberg sp. n. (PT, Malawi, Viphya Mnts., TAU). 139. C. hay sp. n. (PT, Uganda, Mujenje, HNHM). 140. C. quinquevittatum (N-T, Malawi, Viphya Mnts., TAU). 141. C. sao (N-T, Nigeria, Gadau, BMNH). Not to scale.

FIGURES 172–181. Wing of Afrotropical Curtonotum spp. (all males). 172. C. angolense (PT, Angola, 10 mi. NE of Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], CAS). 173. C. campsiphallum (N-T, Cameroon, Limbe (shore), TAU). 174. C. freidberg sp. n. (PT, Malawi, Viphya Mts., TAU). 175. C. hay sp. n. (HT, Uganda, Mujenje, HNHM). 176. C. quinquevittatum (N-T, Malawi, Viphya Mts., TAU). 177. C. sao (N-T, Nigeria, Gadau, BMNH). 178. C. tsacas sp. n. (PT, South Africa, Kosi Bay Nature Reserve, BMSA). 179. C. gonzo sp. n. (HT, [Ghana], Kwadaso, HNHM). 180. C. saheliense (N-T, Nigeria, Samaru, MNHN). 181. C. simile (N-T, Oman, Ourm, MZLU). Not to scale.

FIGURES 238–246. Male terminalia of Afrotropical Curtonotum spp. 238–240. Hypandrium and epandrium (lateral view). 238. C. angolense (N-T, Angola, 10 mi. NE of Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], CAS). 239. C. campsiphallum (N-T, Cameroon, Limbe (shore), TAU). 240. C. freidberg sp. n. (HT, Malawi, Viphya Mts., TAU). 241–243. Phallus (right lateral view). 241. C. angolense (same). 242. C. campsiphallum (same). 243. C. freidberg (same). 244–246. Apical section of phallus (left lateral view). 244. C. angolense (same). 245. C. campsiphallum (same). 246. C. freidberg (same). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 295–305. Male sternites of Afrotropical Curtonotum spp. 295. C. angolense (N-T, Angola, 10 mi. NE of Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], CAS). 296. C. campsiphallum (N-T, Cameroon, Limbe (shore), TAU). 297. C. freidberg sp. n. (PT, Malawi, Viphya Mts., TAU). 298. C. hay sp. n. (HT, Uganda, Mujenge, HNHM). 299. C. quinquevittatum (N-T, Malawi, Viphya Mts., TAU). 300. C. sao (N-T, Nigeria, Gadau, BMNH). 301. C. tsacas sp. n. (PT, Kenya, Kainuk, TAU). 302. C. gonzo sp. n. (PT, [Ghana], Kwadaso, HNHM). 303. C. saheliense (N-T, Nigeria, Yankari Game Reserve, NMWC). 304. C. simile (N- T, UAE, Wadi Maidan, NMWC). 305. C. uncinatum sp. n. (PT, Namibia, Kubunyana, NMNW). Scale bars: 295–301, 303–305 = 0.5 mm; 302 = 0.6 mm.