Stylogaster copelandi, Stuke, 2012

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2012, A revision of Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key, African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 267-267 : 286-289

Stylogaster copelandi sp. n.

Figs 1 , 51–59

Etymology: This species is named in honour of Robert Copeland (Nairobi), who has collected numerous Diptera from Kenya and has loaned material to the author.

Diagnosis: This distinctive species is easily recognised by its small, blackish brown appearance, as well as the pointed basal flagellomere and the arista situated at the apex ( Figs 51, 54 ). The only other species with such an antenna is S. pauliana , a bright orange-brown endemic species of Madagascar. Additionally, the male terminalia of S. copelandi sp. n. are diagnostic ( Figs 1 , 56–59 ).

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 2.9 mm.

Head: 0.8 mm high. Eye dark brown, without ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli brown. Ocellar tubercle black, with 1 pair of inconspicuous ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies virtually whole frons and reaches as far as antennae ( Fig. 55 ). Ocellar triangle brown, apical part paler brown. Frons lateral to ocellar triangle brown­yellow, with 2 proclinate fronto­orbital setae.Antenna brown, basal flagellomere yellow-brown ventrally. Arista dark brown, only 2 segments evident. Arista situated at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 54 ). No setulae on scapus. Pedicellus with short dorsal setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 54 . One distinct black vertical seta. Face dark brown, with silver pruinosity. Occiput brown, slightly silver pruinose; with single inconspicuous black setulae. Some long black setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis mainly brown, except for black labrum and labellum, white at distal division. Labrum ca 1.5 mm, labellum about the same length.

Thorax: Dark brown.All setae black. One notopleural seta (a second may occur, but not evident on specimen), 1 supra-alar seta, 2 postalar seta, 1 praescutellar dorsocentral seta, 1 apical scutellar seta, 1 seta on anepimeron and 1 seta above fore coxa on propleuron. All setae black. Black erect setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 3.2 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, but bc, base of c, bm and cup virtually without microtrichia. Hind margin of wing with black setulae. Venation as in Fig. 53 . Haltere orange­brown, distal part sharply defined dark brown.Areas with sensillae or protuberances at base of haltere not evident in holotype.

Legs: Yellow-brown with pale brown medial band on hind femur. Legs with black setulae and black setae. Fore and mid coxae each with 1 long black seta, mid coxa additionally with some shorter setulae. Hind coxa with group of distal setae on anterior surface and having some short setulae laterally. Hind trochanter without teeth or conspicuous setulae. Mid femur with row of regularly-arranged and straight black setulae posteriorly in distal half. Claws yellow-brown, distally blackish brown. Pulvilli pale brown. Empodia short, pale brown.

Abdomen: Dark brown, with posterior margins of tergites 2–5 darker ( Fig. 52 ). Tergites with long, erect, dark brown setulae. Tergite 1 with long black setulae laterally, tergite 2 on anterior margin with 4 lateral black setae on either side. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 1 , 56–59 . Cercus elongated. Dorsal margin concave, distal margin straight ventrally and convex dorsally. Cercus with a less conspicuous lappet ventrally. Without conspicuous teeth or black setae ventrally. Surstylus with barely visible and non-darkened tooth in the middle of convex distal margin. Only a few, barely visible, setulae on inner surface. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 58 . Clearly­defined strong setulae basally.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ KENYA: (1) “ KENYA Western Prov. / Kakamega Forest / 0°14.13’N, 34°51.87’E / 16.­23. I.2000, Malaise / trap, R. Copeland ”; (2) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / copelandi ♂ / des. Stuke, 2009” ( NMKE). Right hind tarsi and basal flagellomere missing. Abdomen dissected, macerated and stored in glycerine in a microvial pinned beneath the specimen. The holotype is otherwise in perfect condition.

Distribution: Only known from Kenya.

Bionomics: Sampled from the Kenyan last remnant of the Pan-African rainforest.

Figures

Fig. 1. Male terminalia of Stylogaster copelandi sp. n., lateral view (holotype).Abbreviations: ce – cercus; dp – distiphallus; ep – epandrium; he – hemispherical extension of hypandrium; hys – phallus sheath of hypandrium; pa – phallus apodeme; sd – sperm duct; su – surstylus. Not to scale.

Figs 51–55.Stylogaster copelandi sp.n.(♂ holotype):(51) habitus, lateral view; (52) abdomen, lateral view; (53) wing; (54) antenna, lateral view; (55) frons. Not to scale.

Figs 56–59.Terminalia (♂) of Stylogaster copelandisp.n. (holotype):(56) surstylus and cercus,lateral view; (57) same, dorsolateral view; (58) phallus sheath of hypandrium, lateral view; (59) sperm pump and ejaculatory apodeme.Abbreviations: ce – cercus; su – surstylus. Not to scale.