Neotherevella maroccanus, Winterton & Irwin & Mortelmans, 2023

Winterton, Shaun L., Irwin, Michael E. & Mortelmans, Jonas, 2023, Revision of the dune-associated stiletto flies of the genus Neotherevella Lyneborg, 1978 (Therevidae, Therevinae), African Invertebrates 64 (2), pp. 109-138 : 109

Neotherevella maroccanus sp. nov.

Figs 10 , 11I , 15

Holotype.

Morocco • male; Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Merzouga, 45 km S Erfoud; [31.0847, -4.0055]; 19 Nov 1989; M.E. Irwin leg.; sieved from dune sand beneath vegetation, pupated 21 Oct 1990, eclosed 8 Nov 1990; [pupal case attached to pin]; CSCA; MEI120637.

Diagnosis.

Male eyes contiguous below ocellar tubercle, male frons lacking dark maculae; wing cell m3 closed; all macrosetae white; dorsocentral macrosetae absent; palpi slender.

Description.

Body length: 7.5 mm (male). Head. Male frons flat in profile, pubescence grey with orange suffusion, setae absent, eyes contiguous below ocellar tubercle; postocular ridge with white macrosetae arranged in single row immediately laterad of ocellar tubercle; male occiput relatively concave, pubescence grey with abundant yellow adpressed scale-like setae over occiput; antennal scape shorter than flagellum, slightly thickened, cylindrical, brown with grey pubescence admixed with numerous large, pale setae; flagellum brown, elongate cylindrical, pale setae basally; genal setae pale, palpi narrow with pale setae. Thorax. Scutal vestiture with yellow, adpressed, scale-like setae abundant, denser laterally and anteriorly; thoracic macrosetae yellow; scutellum similar to scutum; pleuron dark with sparse grey pubescence admixed with extensive semi-erect, white, scale-like setae, yellow on dorsal part on anepisternum; coxae yellow, overlain with silver-grey pubescence, setae white, coxal macrosetae few in number, white; femora orange, dense covering of adpressed, white, scale-like setae, macrosetae white, hind femur with 1-2 subapical anteroventral macrosetae; tibiae dark yellow; tarsi dark yellow with apices brown; wing opaque white, brown along veins; cell m3 closed; venation yellow basally along major veins, darker distally; haltere dark yellow; scutal chaetotaxy: notopleural, 3; supra alar, 1; post alar, 1; dorsocentral, 0; scutellar, 2. Abdomen. Male abdomen dark yellow, extensive long, setae, yellow dorsally, white laterally and ventrally; terminalia dark yellow. Male genitalia. Not dissected. Externally, extensive long pale setae; gonocoxite with ridge-like outer gonocoxal process, tuft of elongate setae along ventral part of outer gonocoxal process; inner gonocoxal process narrow, spatulate apically. Female unknown.

Etymology.

The species epithet is the adjective latinised version of Morocco.

Distribution.

Morocco.

Ecology.

Typical of many Therevidae , especially dune-associated species, N. maroccanus sp. nov. larvae are found around the bases of plants in dune vegetation, where the larvae predate on soil arthropods amongst the plant roots.

Conservation status.

Undetermined; this species is only known from a single specimen from the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, which is a popular tourist destination.

Comments.

Neotherevella maroccanus sp. nov. is a delicate, distinctively coloured species with an extensive covering of yellow and white pile. It appears closely related to N. macularis , sharing features such as a narrow male frons and wing cell m3 closed. This species is known only from a single male specimen reared from a larva.

Figures

Figure 10. Neotherevella maroccanus sp. nov., male A oblique view B lateral view.

Figure 11. Neotherevella species, head, frontal view A Neotherevella kozlovi (Zaitzev, 1971 a), male B same, female C Neotherevella arenaria (Lyneborg, 1976), male D same, female E Neotherevella londti sp. nov., male F same, female G Neotherevella macularis (Wiedemann, 1828), male H same, female I Neotherevella maroccanus sp. nov., male.

Figure 15. Neotherevella distribution.