Physiphora elbae Steyskal 1968

Elena P. Kameneva & Valery A. Kroneyev, 2016, Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae), Zootaxa 4087 (1), pp. 1-88 : 31-34

Physiphora elbae Steyskal 1968

Figures 106–123 .

Physiphora elbae Steyskal, 1968: 124 ; 1980: 570.

Material. Type. Holotype ♂: Egypt: “Gebel Elba” (Efflatoun) (Steyskal, 1968: “Faculty of Science of the University of Cairo; Ministry of Agriculture, Doqqi, Egypt ”) (not examined; not located). Paratypes: 1♂: South Sudan: Wau, fly trap, 2.iii.1946, “55”, “ Paratype ” [yellow-bordered circle], “ Paratype Physiphora elbae d. Steyskal’64” (D. J. Lewis) (BMNH). Non-type. Botswana: N, Ghanzi, Mongalatsela, on fresh dung, 10. v.1924, 1 ♂ (J. Maurice) (BMNH); Kenya: Rabai, iv.1928, 3 ♀ (van Sommeren) (BMNH); Namibia: Okahandja, 24.ii– 1. iii. 1928, 1 ♀ (R. E. Turner) (BMNH); Etosha National Park: Renostervlei, 2km E, 19º09′ 59″S, 14º33′ 12″E, Malaise traps, 26–12. xii.1999, 1 ♀ (Kirk-Spriggs, Mann & Newman); Khorixas District, Leeukop 664, 19 º53′15″S, 14º21′ 44″E, Malaise trap sample, riverbed, 26–30. x.2001, 1 ♂ (Kirk-Spriggs & Marais); Kutima Mulilo Dist.: Salambala pan, 17º50′ 00″S, 24º35′ 58″E, Malaise traps, 23–27. xii.2002, 1 ♂, 1♀ (A. H. & M. K. Kirk-Spriggs); Salambala camp site, 17º50′ 01″S, 24º36′ 09″E, Malaise traps, 23. xii.2002, 1 ♂ (A. H. & M. K. Kirk-Spriggs) Salambala camp site, 17º50′ 01″S, 24º36′ 09″E, hanging trap baited feces, 28. xii.2002, 1 ♂, 1♀ (A. H. & M. K. Kirk- Spriggs) (NICW); idem, Ndopu village, degradated sand forest & cultivated plots, 17º43.650′S, 24º32.106′E, 20– 23. xii.2012, 1 ♂, 1♀ (BMSA); Mariental Dist.: Viljoenskroon 507, 26 º08′39″S, 19º57′ 11″E, Malaise traps, 7– 9. ii.1998, 9 ♂, 5♀ (A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais) (NICW, SIZK); Tsumkwe District: Aha Hills at: 19º17′ 39″S, 20º59′ 51″E, Malaise trap, 21–25. xii.1998, 1 ♀ (Kirk-Spriggs & Marais); Homasi, 19º40′ 38″S, 20º37′ 08″E, ex fallen baobab tree branch, 24. xii.1998, 1 ♀ (Kirk-Spriggs & Mann); 2km W Xawasha pan, 19º09′ 57″S, 20º52′ 55″E, Malaise traps, 26–27. xii.1998, 1 ♀ (A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais)1♀ (A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais) (NICW); Tanzania: “Makoa, T. T. O.-Afr. b. Kaffeeschildsläusen, 9. ii.1952, 1 ♂, 10. ii.1959, 1 ♀, 6–26. ii.1959, 1 ♂ (E. Lindner) (SMNS);

Diagnosis. P. elbae can be differentiated from other Physiphora by the combination of subshining brown or black frons, cuneiform white microtrichose parafrontal spot, λ-shaped microtrichose pattern on facial carina and mostly white fore metatarsus. It is superficially very similar to P. sericea , readily different from it by the coloration of the fore metatarsus (entirely black in P. sericea ) and structure of male phallus glans (without long lobes in P. elbae ( Figs. 114–116 ) and extremely long reclinate basalmost lobe in P. sericea — Figs. 328–329 ). P. elbae shares very densely rugulose, dull metallic blue to green (or almost entirely black) scutum and scutellum, and glossy black postpronotal lobe, margins of transverse and scuto-scutellar sutures, with P. hendeli sp. n., P. leucotricha , P. obscura , P. rugosa sp. n., and P. tarsata by the smooth frons with parafrontal microtrichose spot long and cuneiform, reaching anterior margin (in all these species, parafrontal spots short and round, not reaching anterior margin of frons; in addition, face of P. hendeli sp. n. with entire microtrichose band); they also differ by the structure of phallus.

Description. Head ( Figs. 107, 109, 111 ) brown to black, with brown facial and gena; rarely frons, sides of face, postgena and middle of vertex brownish yellow. Frons 1.25 times as long as wide, black or brown, subshining, opalescent with violet or bluish tinge and long cuneiform parafrontal microtichose spot reaching anterior margin ( Figs. 109, 111 ) and poorly differentiated calluses posterior to its middle, finely light setulose between calluses. Vertical plates and ocellar triangle shining black with greenish sheen; 2 pairs of black orbital setae; ocellar setae lateroclinate, as long as orbital setae.

Face black, facial carina rugulose, with white λ-shaped microtrichose area widely separated from microtrichose antennal grooves. Gena 1/4 times as high as eye; parafacial and facial ridge with narrow white microtrichose stripe; gena posteriorly with arcuate white microtrichose mark separating it from entirely shining black postgena ( Fig. 107 ). Occiput entirely black. Medial vertical seta 0.4 times as long as frons width, 1.4–1.5 times as long as lateral vertical and 3–4 times as long as ocellar, orbital and postocellar setae. Antenna brown to black; flagellomere 1 rounded apically, 2.2–2.5 times as long as wide, greyish microtrichose; arista bare, yellowish brown in basal 1/5, remainder black. Clypeus black. Palp black, grey microtrichose and black setose. Mouthparts black.

Thorax ( Figs. 106–108 ). Scutum and scutellum black, densely rugulose, almost matt, with green tinge and light cyan to golden reflections; antepronotum, postpronotal lobe, posterior surface of notopleural triangle, supra-alar and postalar parts of scutum, anterior half of anepisternum and katepisternum, and whole anepimeron shining black, with faint golden sheen; posterodorsal parts of anepisternum and katepisternum shagreened; supra-alar area and tympanal fossa brown to black, with faint blue sheen, postscutellum black, gray microtrichose; postero-ventral margin of scutellum without microtrichose area; anatergite, katatergite and lateroventral parts of mediotergite grey microtrichose. Mesonotal scutum with acrostichal and dorsocentral rows of setulae, as well as acrostichal seta, indistinguishable; dorsocentral setae hair-like; other setae moderately long, black: one postprononal, 2 postsutural supra-alar, one intra-alar and one postalar.

Scutellum densely rugulose, with deep blue or violet reflection, apparently bare or with very short and sparse yellowish setulae (1/10–1/15 times as long as setae) and 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with yellow veins; cell r4+5 narrowly closed, apical section of M arcuate ( Fig. 113 ). Postero-apical extension of cell cup 0.5–0.8 times as long as vein A1+CuA2, and only 2–2.5 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2. Calypters with white fringe. Length: 2.5–3.9 mm.

Legs. Black except fore tarsus with basitarsomere creamy yellow in basal 5/6, mid- and hind tibiae basally brown, apically black; mid- and hind tarsi yellow except three apical tarsomeres brown or black; all setae black; fore femur postero-ventrally with 5 thickened short setae in apical half.

Abdomen. Both tergites and sternites black, finely rugulose, with greenish reflection; all setulae black; abdominal tergite 1 basally very sparsely microtrichose; female abdominal tergite 2 with pair of dimple-like structures laterally ( Fig. 120 ).

Male postabdomen brown to black; epandrium as on Fig. 117 , phallus with stipe slightly (1.2–1.3 times) longer than preglans and glans; caecum almost as long as stipe width; preglans with very sparse and fine spinules in apical portion ( Fig. 116 ); glans with 3–4 very short lobes and dilation of longest taenia ( Figs. 114–116 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 118 ) with equal vanes of phallapodeme.

Female terminalia as described for P. alceae ; aculeus 7–8 times as long as wide at base ( Fig. 121 ); 3 spherical spermathecae as on Fig. 122 .

Egg as on Fig. 123 .

Distribution. Eastern and Southern Africa.

Biology. Reared from branches (trunks?) of fallen baobab (Adansonia). Adults are attracted to feces.

Figures

FIGURES 106 – 113. Physiphora elbae: 106, habitus, left, anterior and dorsal; 107,108, head and thorax, left and dorsal; 109, 111 head, anterior; 110, 112 label; 113, wing. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 114 – 123. Physiphora elbae: 114, ♂ phallus; 115, 116, glans, enlarged; 117, epandrium, posterior; 118, hypandrium, ventral; 119, ejaculatory apodeme; 120, dimple-like structure of tergite 2; 121, ♀, aculeus; 122, spermathecae; 123, egg.

FIGURES 328 – 336. Physiphora sericea: 328, ♂ phallus; 329, glans, enlarged; 330, epandrium, posterior; 331, hypandrium, ventral; 332, ejaculatory apodeme; 333, ♀, dimple-like structure of tergite 2; 334, aculeus; 335, same, tip, enlarged; 336, spermathecae.