Nothomydas picketti, Dikow, T., 2012

Dikow, T., 2012, Review of Namibimydas Hesse, 1972 and Nothomydas Hesse, 1969 (Diptera: Mydidae: Syllegomydinae: Halterorchini) with the description of new species, African Invertebrates 53, pp. 79-111 : 101-105

Nothomydas picketti sp.n.

Figs32-34, 41, 42, 43

ZooBank LSID:see Table1.

Etymology:The species is named after and dedicated to the memory of Vespidae systematist and taxonomist and good friend Kurt Milton Pickett who left us much too early(Crowley2011).

Diagnosis:The males of this species are distinguished from congeneric males by the apubescent scutum,the predominantly apubescent abdominal tergites1-5while tergites6-7are entirely grey pubescent(Fig.41),and the entirely apubescent scutellum.The females can be distinguished by the entirely grey pubescent vertex and the predominantly grey pubescent abdominal tergites2-4(only anterolaterally apubescent)while tergites6-7are apubescent(Fig.42).

Description:

Male.

Head:Black,in general densely grey pubescent;width distinctly greater than thorax,interocular distance on vertex larger than at ventral eye margin,vertex between compound eyes more-or-less horizontally straight,medially only slightly below dorsal eye margin,parafacial area about as wide as half the width of central facial gibbosity;facial gibbosity distinct,well-developed and discernible in lateral view;mystax white,covering entire facial gibbosity;frons medially apubescent,laterally grey pubescent,vertex apubescent,postgena apubescent;setation:vertex white or yellow,frons white,ocp setae white or yellow,pocl macrosetae absent;ocellar triangle apubescent;proboscis brown,long,projecting well-beyond fronto-clypeal suture and beyond tip of postpedicel;labellum small,as wide as prementum,about quarter length of prementum,unsclerotised laterally;maxillary palpus cylindrical,brown,minute.

Antenna:Brown,scape and pedicel white setose dorsally,asetose ventrally;postpedicel cylindrical in proximal third,symmetrically bulbous in distal two-thirds,≥4.0 × as long as combined length of scape and pedicel;apical ‘seta-like’ sensory element situated apically in cavity on postpedicel.

Thorax:Brown,predominantly apubescent;scutum uniformly brown,surface entirely smooth,apubescent,scutal setation comprised of long white setae with distinct rows of long dorsocentral setae and dense lateral scutal setae;dc setae pre- and postsuturally white,acr setae present,lateral scutal setae white,npl setae0,spal setae0,pal setae0;postpronotal lobe brown,grey pubescent;proepisternum,lateral postpronotum,and postpronotal lobe long white setose;scutellum apubescent,asetose,apical scutellar setae absent;mesopostnotum,anatergite,and katatergite apubescent,mesopostnotum asetose,anatergite asetose,katatergite long white setose;katatergite more-or-less flat;anterior anepisternum asetose,supero-posterior anepisternum long white setose;posterior anepimeron long white setose,katepimeron long white setose;metanepisternum lightly grey pubescent,asetose,metepimeron more-or-less flat,same colour as T1,lightly grey pubescent,long white setose.

Leg:Brown,setation predominantly white;pro,mes,and met coxa apubescent,long white setose;met trochanter setose medially;femur brown,met femur more-or-less cylindrical only slightly wider than pro and mes femur,in distal half macrosetose,1anteroventral and1posteroventral row of macrosetae,posteroventrally long white,erect setose and setae arranged in distinct row;pro,mes,and met tibia straight,met tibia cylindrical,ventral keel absent,lateroposteriorly long white,erect setose and setae arranged in distinct row;pro and mes tarsomere1longer than tarsomere2,but less than combined length of tarsomeres2-3,met tarsomere1less than combined length of tarsomeres2-3;pulvillus well-developed,as long as well-developed claw,and as wide as base of claw;empodium absent.

Wing:Length7.0- 7.4mm;hyaline throughout,veins brown,microtrichia absent;cells r1,r4,r5,m3,and cup closed;C terminates at junction with R1;R4terminates in R1;R5terminates in R1;stump vein(R3)at base of R4present,short not reaching R2;R4and R5widest apart medially; r–m distinct,R4+5and M1apart,connected by crossvein;M1straight at r–m (not curving anteriorly),M1(or M1+M2)terminates in R1;CuA1and CuA2split proximally to m–cu (cell m3narrow proximally);M3+CuA1do not terminate together in C;A1undulating,cell a1wide,A1and wing margin further apart proximally than distally;alula well-developed;haltere light brown.

Abdomen:Brown;setation comprised of dense white setose,surface entirely smooth;T1-7brown;T1-2long white setose,T3-7shorter white setose;T1-5apubescent,T6-7entirely grey pubescent;S1-7brown;S1asetose,S2-7sparsely white setose;S predominantly apubescent;T2-4parallel-sided and not constricted waist-like;bullae on T2black,transversely elongate,surface entirely smooth,T2surface anterior to bullae smooth.

Terminalia (Figs32-34):Epandrium distally in dorsal view pointed with bid tip posteromedially.

Female.

Head:Vertex entirely grey pubescent;setation:vertex white,ocp setae white.Antenna:Brown;scape and pedicel white setose dorsally,asetose ventrally;postpedicel cylindrical in proximal third,symmetrically bulbous in distal two-thirds,≥5.0 × as long as combined length of scape and pedicel;apical ‘seta-like’ sensory element situated apically in cavity on postpedicel.Thorax:Scutum predominantly grey pubescent,pleura predominantly apubescent;anterior slopes(facing occiput)apubescent,otherwise densely grey pubescent with broad sublateral stripes(not reaching anterior margin)and narrower paramedian stripes(not reaching posterior margin)sparsely grey pubescent(or even apubescent);scutellum grey pubescent proximally,apubescent distally,asetose;mesopostnotum,anatergite,and katatergite grey pubescent.Leg:pro,mes,and met coxa apubescent,pro and mes coxa short white setose,met coxa long white setose;pro and mes tarsomere1as long as tarsomere2.Wing:Length8.0- 8.9mm;veins light brown.Abdomen:Scattered white setose;T1and anterior half of T2long white setose,remaining T2and T3short white setose;T1apubescent,T2-4predominantly grey pubescent,anterolaterally apubescent,T5grey pubescent medially,T6-7apubescent.Genitalia:6acanthophorite spines per plate.

Holotype:♂ NAMIBIA: Karas: Skerpioenkop , 27°46'00"S 16°29'58"E, 20-22.ix.1997, A.Kirk-Spriggs & E.Marais,yellow trays(AAM-000878, NMNW) .

Paratypes: 4♀ 1♂ same data as holotype (AAM-000874-AAM-000877,AAM-000879, NMNW) .

Type locality and distribution: Skerpioenkop (27°46'00"S 16°29'58"E),Namibia(Fig.43,GBIF resource#14003).Biodiversity hotspot:endemic to Succulent Karoo.

Remarks: N.picketti sp.n. is the most sexually dimorph species within this genus as can be seen from the rather long description of the female and that the male and female are separated in the identification key.