Chaetopodella nigeriae, Papp, 2008

Papp, L., 2008, Afrotropical Species Of Chaetopodella Duda (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 54 (3), pp. 235-255 : 247-249

Chaetopodella nigeriae sp. n.

( Figs 34–40 )

Holotype male ( HNHM): Nigeria, Yanguikari Reserve , Wikki – Aug. 14, 1978, leg. A. DEMETER, No. 18 [hippo dung from the previous night].

Paratypes ( HNHM): Nigeria, Yangui [correctly: Yankari] Reserve, Wikki : 7 males 4 females: same as for holotype; 1 male 2 females: ibid., Aug. 11, No. 5 [2 to 3 days old buffalo dung] [abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial with glycerol] ; 1 male: ibid., Aug. 12, No. 12 [3 to 4 days old buffalo dung] .

Measurements in mm: body length 1.32 (holotype), 1.26 – 1.48 (paratype males), 1.27–1.59 (paratypes females), wing length 1.21 (holotype), 1.18–1.40 (paratype males), 1.21–1.48 (paratype females), wing width 0.44 (holotype), 0.43–0.48 (paratype males), 0.47–0.55 (paratype females).

Head: Mostly blackish brown, heavily microtrichose. Frons entirely dark or reddish only on a narrow anterior part. There are silvery spots around bases of macrochaetae. Gena and face brown, in some specimens yellowish brown. Three medium-long interfrontal pairs present, upper setae slightly stronger. Anterior ors thin, 0.065 0.07 mm, about 1/2 length of posterior ors (0.014 –0.015 mm). Eye large and rounded, its longest diameter (0.285mm) about 3.5 times as long as genal width below eye 0.2 mm for Fig. 34 , 0.1 mm for Figs 35–40

(0.077 mm). Antenna dark brown, incl. scape, arista long, almost 4 times as long as antenna (0.59 vs. 0.15 mm, shortly ciliate.

Thorax: Mesonotal colour dominated by velvety black, i.e. silvery microtomentum only around setal bases and this silvery colour confluent only in 4 short stripes, which terminate at the level of posterior notopleural seta. Six rows of acrostichal microsetae in front of suture; 3 dc; 2 kepst, posterior one very strong (0.16–0.17 mm). Scutellum velvety black, somewhat wider than long (0.33 mm vs. 0.285 mm on holotype); 2 sc long, apical one (0.505 mm on holotype) nearly 2 times as long as lateral one (0.26 mm) and slightly shorter than scutellum.

Wing: Milky whitish, veins whitish except for light brown C; C not extended beyond apex of R 4+5. First costal section setae 0.09 mm long, i.e. distinctly stronger setae than those of second and third sectors and longer than cell diameter. Apical part of R 4+5 rather strongly bent up to C. C-index = 0.40/ 0.225 mm 1.77 (holotype) 1.69–1.78 (paratypes); R-M – dM-Cu: dM-Cu = 3.4 (holotype), 3.3–3.5 (paratypes); lower corner of the discal cell angulate with a short vein appendage, or, in some specimens rounded without vein appendage; alula broad and rounded; halter yellowish white.

Legs brown; male fore tibia normal but tarsus slightly thickened. Male fore coxa on anterior surface with dense long (up to 0.18 mm) light curly hairs. Posterior apex of fore coxa with 2 (3) similar but thicker and even longer (0.20 mm) hair-like setae. Female fore coxa more medially than anteriorly with similar light but shorter dense hairs. Fore femur with 2–3 dorsal setae. Mid femur without a ventral row of setae on basal 1/ 5 in male.

Abdomen: Male tergite 5 short, not divided sagittally, sclerotisation not weaker than laterally. Sternite 5 ( Fig. 35 ) with robust paired caudal processes not far from each other, medially and apically with 3+2+1 setae. Medial platelet angulate and hairy (pilose). Syntergosternite 6–8 ( Fig. 34 ) short dorsally (as regards body axis), right lateral (T7) part complex. Ventralmost part of the complex comparatively weakly sclerotized. Ventral plate of subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 36 ) with 2 pairs of long thorn-like seta, the lateral one much thicker than the medial pair.

Surstylus ( Figs 37–38 ) with large lateral process, which bears some medium-long setae; basal process with 1 long and 2 short setae. Distiphallus robust, comparatively short, epiphallus triangular in profile. Postgonite ( Fig. 39 ) less narrowed in its apical part than that of Ch. aethiopica . Apical part of the paired dorsal process of distiphallus with a longer medial and a shorter lateral processes ( Fig. 40 ).

Female abdominal tergites with long setae on caudal lateral edges, longest on tergite 6, 0.15 mm; cerci very short, only 0.08 mm long, 0.035 mm broad, longest cercal setae 0.08 mm long.

Etymology. The specific epithet (noun) refers to its type locality, Nigeria.

Figures

Figs 34–40. Chaetopodella (Ch.) nigeriae sp. n., paratype male, genitalia. 34 = pregenital sclerites, subventral-subcaudal view, 35 = 5th sternite, ventral view, 36 = subanal plate, caudal view; 37–38 = surstylus: 36 = in the broadest (sublateral) view, 38 = in ventral view; 39 = phallic complex (inner genitalia), lateral view, 40 = apical part of the dorsal process of distiphallus, broadest view. Scales: