Spilogona brunnea, Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian C., 2014

Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian C., 2014, New species of Afrotropical Muscidae (Diptera: Muscoidea), Zootaxa 3852 (3), pp. 301-320 : 318-319

Spilogona brunnea sp. nov.

Figs 42–46.

Type material. Holotype ♂, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape, Keurbos, Twintubs, 3354.26.8′S, 2343.35.4′E, Malaise trap, indigenous montane forest (pools), 28–30.iii.2009 (F. de Moor), BMSA (D)06067 ( BMSA).

Paratypes 1♂ 3♀. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: same data as holotype, except: 1♂, BMSA (D)08093 ( MNRJ); Western Cape, Bloukrantz, Platbos forest at: 3356.558′S, 2337.566′E, 300 m, Malaise traps (2), indigenous forest, 26–28.iii.2009, (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & S. Otto), 1♀, BMSA (D)08058 ( BMSA); Tsitsikamma N.P., Bloukrans Pass, Platbos at: 3356.558′S, 2337.566′E, sweeping forest paths, indigenous forest, 22–25.i.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & S. Otto), 1♀, BMSA (D)05203 ( BMNH); same data, except: Malaise trap, indigenous forest, 1♀, BMSA (D)03934 ( MNRJ).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by having 2 + 3 dorsocentrals, a short-plumose arista, 1 pair of reclinate orbitals, and a notal pattern that is not an Anthomyia -pattern of grey dust and black spots/bands. The median occipital sclerite is glossy black and contrasts with the yellowish-grey occiput.

Description. General coloration. Head with frontal vitta black; fronto-orbital plate with a light grey pruinose area between the frontal and orbital pairs of setae, otherwise dark brown pruinose; face and parafacial silvery pruinose; gena grey; antenna and arista black; proboscis shining black. Ground-colour of notum thinly dark brown dusted, subshining in places, with two grey dusted vittae mesad of the presutural dorsocentrals and another pair outside 2nd and 3rd postsutural dorsocentrals; postpronotum light grey dusted; pleura grey dusted. Spiracles grey. Wing clear. Calypters creamy-white; haltere yellow. Legs with coxae grey pruinose, trochanters yellow; fore femur dark brown shining, mid and hind femora yellow on basal ⅔ and dark brown shining on apical third to quarter; tibiae yellow; tarsi brown. Abdomen brown with some grey dust in anterolateral corners of tergites 3 and 4 and more extensively on tergite 5.

♂. Measurements. Body length: 4.2 mm; wing length: 4.0 mm.

Head. Dichoptic, eye bare, frons at level of anterior ocellus ⅓ of head-width; margins slightly convergent towards vertex; 2 pairs of inclinate frontal setae and 1 pair of reclinate orbitals; inner vertical seta long; ocellar seta long; antenna inserted a little above mid-level of eye, postpedicel about 2.5 × the length of pedicel; arista shortplumose, the longest plumosity a little shorter than width of postpedicel; palpus filiform; vibrissa long.

Thorax. Dorsocentrals 1 + 3; acrostichal setulae fine and sparse, in 1–2 irregular rows, prescutellar pair absent; 2 postpronotals, the outer one longer; 1 presutural and 2 postsutural intra-alars; 1 presutural and 2 postsutural supra-alars, the second postsutural pair short; 2 postalars; prealar absent. Notopleuron with two setae similar in size. Scutellum with one long sub-basal and one apical pair of setae, both long. Anepisternum with a series of 3 long setae, with 2-3 fine ones between the first and the second. Katepisternals 1 + 2.

Legs. Fore femur with posteroventral, posterodorsal and short posterior rows of setae; fore tibia with a posterior median seta and a strong dorsal and posterior preapical; mid femur bare ventrally, with 2 posterior preapicals; mid tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae, inserted at 1⅔; one dorsal preapical; anteroventral and posteroventral apical setae long; hind femur with a complete row of anterodorsal setae, anteroventral surface with 2 setae in apical fourth; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae, 2 anteroventrals, one preapical dorsal, and preapical anterodorsal present.

Wing. Veins bare; veins R4+5 and M parallel at wing-tip; costal spine not developed. Lower calypter large, about 2.2 × the length of the upper.

Abdomen. Tergites 3–4 with lateral marginal setae; tergite 5 with a discal and marginal row of setae. Sternite 1 bare. Sternite 5 as in Fig. 42.

Terminalia . Cercal plate and surstylus as in Figs 43–44. Aedeagus as in Fig. 45.

♀. Measurements. Body length: 4.2 mm; wing length: 4.0 mm.

Similar to ♂.

Ovipositor. Ovipositor and spermathecae as in Fig. 46.

Distribution. Republic of South Africa (Eastern and Western Cape).

Etymology. The name is from the Latin brunneus (“brown”) and refers to the brown colour of the notum; it is an adjective in agreement with the feminine noun Spilogona .

Discussion. This species runs to S. semiargentata Villeneuve, 1916 in Emden (1951), but both S. semiargentata and the more recently described S. transvaalensis Zielke, 1970 have an Anthomyia -pattern on the notum. S. latifascia Emden, 1951 differs by having a broad grey prescutellar band.