Curtonotum angolense Tsacas, 1977, 1980

Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H. & Wiegmann, Brian M., 2013, A revision of Afrotropical Quasimodo flies (Diptera: Schizophora; Curtonotidae). Part IV — the continental Afrotropical species of Curtonotum Macquart, with descriptions of thirteen new species and a combined phylogenetic analysis of the Curtonotidae , Zootaxa 3684 (1), pp. 1-166 : 79-82

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3684.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E922034E-1247-400B-97F6-1778CF766B91
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E45152-FFD1-FFB7-A6AB-FCC3567A4044
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Curtonotum angolense Tsacas, 1977
status

Treatment

Curtonotum angolense Tsacas, 1977 View in CoL

Figs 112 View FIGURES 112–117 , 136 View FIGURES 130–141 , 172 View FIGURES 172–181 , 238, 241, 244 View FIGURES 238–246 , 295 View FIGURES 295–305 , 325 View FIGURE 325 , 326 View FIGURE 326 .

Curtonotum angolensis: Tsacas, 1977: 149 View in CoL ; fig. 1, p. 150. Type locality: “ Angola: 5 mls. NE. Negola ”.

Curtonotum angolense: Wirth and Tsacas (1980: 671) View in CoL .

Curtonotum angolense: Kirk-Spriggs (2008c: 251) View in CoL .

Redescription: Male (primarily based on field-pinned HT, PT).

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

Measurements: Overall length unknown; 4.5–5 mm ( Tsacas 1977: 150); length of head and thorax combined 1.9–2.5 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 1.8–2.3 mm; wing length 2.7–3.5 mm (n = 5, PT).

Head ( Figs 112 View FIGURES 112–117 , 136 View FIGURES 130–141 ). Eye height/length ratio: 8:6 (n = 1, PT); frons ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 130–141 ) very slightly wider than long, frons length/width ratio: 5:6 (n = 1, PT); arista with 9–10 dorsal branches and 4–6 ventral branches; 7 fine setae bordering genal groove; occiput grey pruinose; gena narrow, eye height/genal height ratio: 8:1 (n = 1, PT), silver pruinose throughout.

Thorax ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 112–117 ). Mesonotum golden-grey pruinose, with four narrow parallel brown pruinose vittae rather poorly defined; postpronotum with 7 fine setulae; anepisternum surface with 17 fine setulae; katepisternum surface with 13 short, fine setulae.

Legs. Fore coxa with 9 brown setulae; fore tibia with ctenidium of 10–11 short, sharp, black spinules.

Wing ( Fig. 172 View FIGURES 172–181 ). Dm–cu crossvein with only slight medial angle.

Abdomen. Tergites 3–5 with well developed “T-shaped” brown lateral maculae, but not merging with median fascia; sternites 5 and 6 ( Fig. 295 View FIGURES 295–305 ); sternite 5 large, elliptical and laterally expanded, especially subbasally, extensive lateral maculae fused in basal ⅔; sternite 6 narrow basally, subquadrate with broad, shallow U-shaped apical excision, extensively darkened, except in basal V-shaped region, clothed in moderately short setae, those on inner margins longer and stronger.

Terminalia ( Figs 238, 241, 244 View FIGURES 238–246 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 238 View FIGURES 238–246 , hy) very short, with reduced broad-based roundedtruncate dorsobasal lobe, sclerotised area of medial lobes (viewed dorsally), wide apically, there overlapping, postgonite (pg); epandrium (ep) slightly broader dorsally than ventrally (viewed laterally); cercus (ce); surstylus (ss); phallus (as in Figs 241 View FIGURES 238–246 , ph, bp, dp; 244, bp, dp); phallapodeme ( Fig. 241 View FIGURES 238–246 , ph); ejaculatory apodeme (ea); basiphallus ( Figs 241, 245 View FIGURES 238–246 , bp) narrow, slightly wider at midlength, narrow apically, with brown, heavily sclerotised elongate baso-ventral process with distinct hook-like basal “spine” and one large tooth-like serration on posterior margin and one smaller serration on anterior margin; distiphallus ( Figs 241, 244 View FIGURES 238–246 , dp) long, heavily sclerotised, scimitar-like (viewed laterally), membranous area narrow.

♀ Unknown.

Variation. No significant variation is noted.

Differential diagnosis. Curtonotum angolenese 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. freidberg sp. n.). They are separable by use of the above key.

Type material examined. ANGOLA: holotype ♂, “Holo- / type [paper disc; red border] // ANGOLA (A37) / 5 mls. NE. Negola / 25.iii.1972 // Southern / African Exp. / B.M.1972-1 // CURTONOTUM / angolensis / n.sp. / Holotype / L. TSACAS DET. 1976 [printed & handwritten] // Curtonotum ♂ / angolensis Tsacas, 1977 / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs vidit 2006” (BMNH). In good condition: left hind leg missing; re-staged on nu-poly mount; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen. Paratypes (all labelled: “ CURTONOTUM / angolensis / n.sp. / L. TSACAS DET. 1976 [printed & handwritten] // Curtonotum ♂ / angolensis Tsacas, 1977 / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs vidit 2006”): ANGOLA: 1♂, same labels as holotype, except: “Para- / type [paper disc; yellow border]”; 30♂, “ ANGOLA: / 10 mi. NE of / Sada Bandeira [Sá da Bandeira = Lubango] / V–20–[19]58, 1700 m // E.S. Ross & / R.E. Leech / collection // PARATYPE [printed in bold; red card]” (all CAS); 1♂, same except: “Muséum Paris” (MNHN); 104♂, “ ANGOLA: 10 mi. NE / of Sá da Bandeira. / 1700 m. 20–V–1958 / E. S. Ross & / R. E. Leech // PARATYPE [printed in bold; red card]”; 5♂, “ ANGOLA: / Cacula / elev. 1530m / V–25–[19]58 // E.S. Ross & / R.E. Leech / collection // PARATYPE [printed in bold; red card]” (all CAS); 1♂, same except: “Muséum Paris” (MNHN).

Remarks. Tsacas (1977: 150) cited a total of 146 paratypes, but only 136 specimens are labelled as paratypes in total; 134 in CAS and two in MNHN. Tsacas (1977: 150) listed two ♂ paratypes from 5 mls. NE. Negola, but only one is present in the BMNH collection. Tsacas (ibid.) erroneously cited the holotype data as “ 8 km NE Negola”, rather than “2 mls. NE Negola”, the latter being correct.

Additional material examined (all labelled: “ Curtonotum angolense Tsacas, 1977 ♂ det. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2006”): ANGOLA: 1♂, Angola , Cacula, elev. 1530 m, 25.v.[19]58, E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech collection; 8♂, Angola, 10 mi. NE of Sá da Bandeira [= Lubango], 20.v.[19]58, 1700 m, E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech collection [1 head missing] (all CAS) .

Distribution. Endemic to Angola ( Fig. 325 View FIGURE 325 , 326 View FIGURE 326 ). The species is apparently restricted to the Angolan Escarpment at high elevations (1700 and 1530 m) in mountains ranges near Lubango ( Fig. 325 View FIGURE 325 ). Negola (the type locality) also forms part of the same mountain range and is part of the Southern African Escarpment.

Bionomics. Occurring in the Angolan Miombo Woodland habitat type; Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands vegetation type (see Appendix III) .