Morellia (M.) cerciformis Zielke, 1971

Pamplona, Denise, Nihei, Silvio S., Couri, Márcia S. & Pont, Adrian C., 2016, Taxonomy of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Muscidae): revision of the subgenera Morellia s. str. and Parapyrellia Townsend, Zootaxa 4163 (1), pp. 1-110 : 30-32

9. Morellia (M.) cerciformis Zielke, 1971

( Figs 44–45 )

Morellia cerciformis Zielke, 1970: 500 . Nomen nudum; in list of species. Morellia cerciformis Zielke, 1971a: 106 . Type locality: KENYA, Ngong Forestry Station. Holotype Ƌ, USNM, no. 70924 (seen).

Redescription. Colour. Black. Frontal vitta black with a little gold pruinosity on upper half, fronto-orbital plate black; face with grey pruinosity, parafacial and gena with silver pruinosity; antenna black; palpus black; mesonotum metallic black with one silver dusted central vitta along presutural acrostichals; postpronotal lobe and notopleuron silver pruinose; pleura silver pruinose; legs black, coxae silver dusted; haltere dark yellow; calypters pale brownish; upper calypter on outer half white and opaque; wing without dark markings; abdomen black, last tergite with a little golden pruinosity and ventral side silver pruinose.

Female. Body length: 7.5 mm; wing length: 7.0 mm.

Head. Eyes bare but with the usual minute and scattered hairs, separated at level of anterior ocellus by about 0.36 of head width, frons parallel towards lunule; ocellar triangle with a strong pair of setae and many setulae; fronto-orbital plate with 3 strong and 1 weak proclinate setae and 1 weak reclinate seta; 15 pairs of frontal setae, the second lowest the strongest; postpedicel about 1.6 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2 setae; arista plumose, with about 19 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 7th to 8th cilia; vibrissa shorter than arista; 1 strong supravibrissal seta, half as long as vibrissa, and a few other setulae that extend to level of basal fourth of postpedicel; 5 subvibrissal setae followed by 6 genal setae.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+2, the first pair weaker; dorsocentrals 0+2; intra-alars 1+1; no presuturals; prealar 1, strong; supra-alars 2; postpronotals 4, the innermost weaker; notopleuron with 2 long, subequal setae and covered with ground-setulae; postalars 2 (the anterior weaker); intrapostalar 1; scutellum with 1 basal, 1 latero-discal and 1 apical pairs of setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, a few basal ones downcurved; postalar wall bare; suprasquamal ridge bare; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 4 long setae and many setulae; prosternum broad and bare; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 8 setae, without upcurved setae on upperanterior corner, and covered with short setulae; katepisternals 1+2; anepimeron setulose medially and on subalar ridge; katepimeron bare; anatergite bare; katatergite setulose. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae on apical two-thirds becoming shorter basad, and a posteroventral row of setae on apical two-thirds; fore tibia with a dorsal and an anteroventral preapical setae; mid femur without a tubercle, with 2 anterior setae on middle third, 3 posterior to posterodorsal preapical setae, and with only short setulae ventrally; mid tibia with 4 short and strong posterior setae, 1 anterodorsal seta on middle third, 1 dorsal preapical, 1 ventral, 1 posteroventral and 2 apical setae; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae on apical half, strongest in apical third, an anterodorsal row of setae and a few posteroventral setulae on apical fourth; hind tibia with 4–6 short and weak anteroventral setae on middle third, 2 short and weak posterodorsal setae on basal third, a posterodorsal row of setulae on apical half ending on a posterior ctenidium, 1 anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal preapical setae, 1 ventral and 1 anteroventral apical setae; hind tarsus without modifications in shape or bristling. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu sinuous; stem-vein bare on dorsal surface, and ventrally with about 7 short setulae before humeral crossvein and bare after humeral cross-vein; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose from base to midway to r-m on dorsal surface and as far as r-m on ventral surface; 4 strong setae on basicosta.

Abdomen. With lateral tufts of setulae on syntergite 1+2; sternite 1 setulose.

Ovipositor. Tergite 7 rod-like, anteriorly broadened, posteriorly with 4 plates with setae; tergite 8 rod-like, anteriorly broadened, posteriorly with 2 plates with spines; sternite 7 rod-like, posteriorly with 1 plate with setae; sternite 8 rod-like, posteriorly with 2 plates with setae; epiproct longer than broad, anteriorly deeply incised, with 3 setae and 2 setulae; hypoproct longer than broad, with many setae; cercus cylindrical and long ( Figs 44–45 ).

Male: not described here (for the male description please refer to Zielke, 1971a: 106).

Material examined. KENYA: Ngong Forestry Station , 13–20.iv.1968, P.J. Spangler, holotype Ƌ ( USNM) ; TANZANIA: Mt. Meru, 1500m, vi.1962, Heinrich, 1 ♀ ( BMNH) .

Distribution. AFROTROPICAL: Kenya, Tanzania.

Figures

FIGURES 44 – 45. Morellia (M.) cerciformis Zielke, female from Tanzania. 44. Ovipositor, dorsal view. 45. Ovipositor and spermathecae, ventral view.