Curtonotum platyphallum Tsacas, 1977

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 : 72-74

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-FFD8-FFAF-A6AB-FA4B51D9434F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Curtonotum platyphallum Tsacas, 1977
status

Treatment

Curtonotum platyphallum Tsacas, 1977 View in CoL

Figs 111 View FIGURES 106–111 , 135 View FIGURES 130–141 , 165 View FIGURES 160–165 , 171, 215, 220, 223, 227, 232, 233, 324.

Curtonotum platyphallum: Tsacas, 1977: 157 View in CoL ; figs 6 a–c, p. 158. Type locality: “ Liberia: Robertsport , Talla ”.

Curtonotum platyphallum: Wirth and Tsacas (1980: 672) View in CoL .

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

Redescription: Male (based on field-pinned HT and ♀ N-T).

As described for C. marriott sp. n. (above), differing in the following respects:

Measurements: Overall length unknown; 8.5 mm ( Tsacas 1977: 159); wing length 4.4 mm (n = 1, HT). [Although detailed photographs were made beforehand, the unique holotype ♂ was returned to the AMNH prior to a full compliment of measurements having been formulated, measurements and ratios provided below are, therefore, from the single ♀ N-T specimen]: length of head and thorax combined 3.0 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 2.8 mm (n = 1, ♀ N-T).

Head ( Figs 111 View FIGURES 106–111 , 135 View FIGURES 130–141 ). Eye height/length ratio: 12:8 (n = 1, ♀ N-T); frons ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 130–141 ) length/width ratio: 7:10 (n = 1, ♀ N-T); arista with 10 long dorsal branches and 3–4 ventral branches; face with narrow silver fascia (½ width between eye margin and ptilinal fissure), edge adjacent to ptilinal fissure coloured as on frons; 10 fine setae bordering genal groove; gena wide, eye height/genal height ratio: 12:2 (n = 1, ♀ N-T).

Thorax ( Fig. 111 View FIGURES 106–111 ). Postpronotum with 22 fine black-brown setulae; anepisternum surface with 33 fine setulae, with 1 group of 3 longer in posterior corner; katepisternum with 19 short, fine setulae.

Legs. Fore coxa with 18 brown setulae; mid-coxa with 7 black setulae; fore tibia with ctenidium of 14–15 black spinules.

Wing ( Fig. 165 View FIGURES 160–165 ). Dm–cu crossvein with even curve.

Abdomen. Sternite 6 ( Fig. 220 View FIGURES 218–227 ) long, narrow basally, expanded apically, with sides straight, with relatively deep, V-shaped apical excision, clothed in short black irregular brown setulae, those at apical margin longer and more prominent.

Terminalia ( Figs 223, 227 View FIGURES 218–227 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 223 View FIGURES 218–227 , hy) with number of setulae proximal to postgonite unknown (obscured by epandrium on Fig. 223 View FIGURES 218–227 ); postgonite (pg); epandrium (ep); cercus (ce); surstylus (ss) long; phallus (as in Fig. 227 View FIGURES 218–227 , bp, dp) [as the basal section of the phallus is missing from the unique male specimen (HT), the phallapodeme, basal section of basiphallus and ejaculatory apodeme cannot be described]; apical ½ of basiphallus (bp) with lateral margin finger-like, evenly-rounded extension and shallow, wide apical excision; distiphallus (dp) short, subdivided into unforked baso-ventral process (bvp) and straight apico-dorsal process.

♀ Similar to ♂, except in the following respects: wing length 4.6 mm (n = 1, N-T). Postabdomen as illustrated in Figs 232, 233 View FIGURES 228–233 ; stermathecae as illustrated in Fig. 215 View FIGURES 203–217 .

Variation. As only 2 specimens are known, insufficient material is available to assess variability.

Differential diagnosis. Curtonotum platyphallum sp. n. is mainly separable from its congeners, C. marriott sp. n. and C. moffatt sp. n., on the form of the male terminalia, especially the shape of the distiphallus ( Figs 224–227 View FIGURES 218–227 ) and of male sternite 6 ( Figs 218–220 View FIGURES 218–227 ) (see above key for details). Given the degree of inter- and intraspecific variation in the shape of the spermatheca ( Fig. 215 View FIGURES 203–217 ) in other species with obclavate spermathecae, it is unlikely that the shape of this structure has any value in distinguishing the species.

Type material examined. LIBERIA: holotype ♂, “Talla // Robertsport / Liberia 1943 / F. Snyder XI–13 [printed & handwritten] // HOLOTYPE [printed in bold; red card] // CURTONOTUM / pharyphal - / pum n. sp. / L. TSACAS DET. 1976 [printed & handwritten] // Curtonotum / platyphallum Tsacas, 1977 / A. H. Kirk-Spriggs vidit 2006” [head missing] ( AMNH). In good condition, although head missing; direct-pinned; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen; phallapodeme and basal part of basiphallus missing .

Additional material examined (labelled: “ Curtonotum platyphallum Tsacas, 1977 ♀ det. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 ”). LIBERIA: 1♀, Liberia : 8 mi. NW Zorzor, 12.viii.1966, E.S. Ross & K. Lorenzen ( CAS) .

Distribution. Endemic to Liberia ( Fig. 324 View FIGURE 324 ). The two records indicate that the species is restricted to the western Guineo-Congolian rainforests and coastal habitats of Liberia. Pending additional records the distribution is probably best interpreted as transitional between the Guineo-Congolian rainforest and savanna (e. g., White and Werger 1978; Kirk-Spriggs 2003).

Bionomics. Occurring in Guinean Mangroves and Western Guinean Lowland Forest habitat types; in Mangroves and Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests vegetation types (Appendix III) .