Stylogaster amplicercus, 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 : 279-282

Stylogaster amplicercus sp. n.

Figs 25–35

Etymology: From Latin amplus (large) and cercus, reflecting the diagnostically broadened cercus of this species.

Diagnosis: Stylogaster amplicercus sp. n. shares a laterally broadened cercus ( Fig. 32 ) only with S. spinicercus sp. n., but is easily distinguished from it by the absence of conspicuous setae on the cercus and surstylus.

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 5.9 mm.

Head: 1.4 mm high. Eye dark brown, with a few scattered, inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side of eye slightly enlarged. Ocelli yellow­brown. Ocellar tubercle black with 1 pair of ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies almost entire frons, reaching as far as antennae ( Fig. 27 ). Ocellar triangle yellow­brown. Frons brown lateral to ocellar triangle, with 2 or 3 small fronto-orbital setae recognised. Antenna brown, pedicellus on inner surface yellow-brown distally. Arista dark brown, 3 segments evident. Arista situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 26 ). No conspicuous setulae dorsally on scapus. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 26 . One damaged vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput black to brown, distinctly silver pruinose; with line of regularly-arranged small white setulae dorsally, and with several longer white setulae ventrally. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis pale yellow basally, becoming dark brown distally except for yellow-brown distal division of labellum. Labrum ca 2.5 mm, labellum approximately same length.

Thorax: Yellow-brown; mesoscutum (with exception of postpronotum), scutellum, mediotergite and dorsal part of anepisternum, orange-brown.All setae black with exception of golden seta on propleuron. Two notopleural setae (1 damaged), 1 supra-alar seta, 2 postalar setae (3 damaged), 1 praescutellar dorsocentral seta (1 damaged), 1 apical scutellar seta (1 damaged), 1 seta on anepimeron and 1 seta above fore coxa on propleuron. A few black setulae on anepimeron. Black, semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 9 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, but base of bc, base of r 1, very narrowly at base of br, bm and cup without microtrichia. Hind edge with black or brown setulae. Venation as in Fig. 29 . Haltere uniformly pale brown, with areas of sensillae at base.

Legs: Fore and mid legs pale yellow, mid tibia with pale brown area on anterior surface. Hind leg darker brown, except for hind femur having lighter medial part and yellow-brown ventral surface, and hind tibia with yellow-white subapical area. Legs mainly with black or brown setulae, only fore and mid tibiae and fore femur additionally with pale yellow setulae. Setae on fore coxa whitish yellow, those on mid and hind coxae black. Fore coxa without distinct setae, but with strong white setulae distally. Mid coxa with 1 black seta and additional strong setulae. Hind coxa with lateral black seta and additional strong black setulae distally on anterior surface. Hind trochanter with dense short black setulae. Mid femur with row of regularly-arranged black setulae posteriorly on basal half and with a few additional, longer setulae on ventral surface. Mid tibia with short erect black setulae ventrally. Hind tibia with 5 short black spines on anterior surface. Claws dark brown basally, distally black. Pulvilli pale yellow. Empodia short, brown.

Abdomen: Mainly orange-brown, tergite 1 brown, tergites 2–4 with conspicuous dark brown posterior margin and less distinct brown medial fascia, tergites 5–6 and epandrium slightly darker brown medially ( Fig. 28 ). Tergites with semi­adpressed black setulae. Tergite 1 with long white setulae laterally, tergite 2 with 5 (mostly damaged) black lateral setae on either side of the anterior margin. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 30–35 . Cercus triangular, broadened laterally ( Fig. 33 ). Dorsal margin slightly concave. Cercus without conspicuous lappet ventrally, but with several strong black setae on inner surface. ( Fig. 33 ). Surstylus with 2 black teeth on distal margin. No setulae on inner surface. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 34 .

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR:(1) “ MADAGASCAR / Toamasina Province / 7 km SE of Andasibe National Park / headquarters / 08.­23. April 2001 / 18°57.76'S 48°27.16'E ”; (2) “ California Acad. of Science / coll. M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise trap ­ in tropical forest / elev 1050 m MA­01­08A­06”; (3) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / amplicercus ♂ / des. Stuke, 2011” ( CAS). Right fore tarsi, hind leg and haltere damaged, right wing torn.Abdomen dissected, macerated and stored in glycerine in a microvial pinned beneath specimen, holotype otherwise in reasonable condition.

Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.

Bionomics: Sampled in primary rainforest at moderately high elevation (1050 m).

Figures

Figs25–29.Stylogaster amplicercus sp.n.(♂ holotype):(25) habitus,lateral view;(26) antenna,dorsolateral view; (27) frons; (28) abdomen, dorsal view; (29) wing. Not to scale.

Figs 30–35. Terminalia (♂) of Stylogaster amplicercus sp. n. (holotype): (30) surstylus, lateral view; (31) same, dorsolateral view; (32) cercus, lateral view; (33) same, ventral view; (34) phallus sheath of hypandrium, lateral view; (35) sperm pump and ejaculatory apodeme. Abbreviations: ce – cercus; hys – phallus sheath of hypandrium; su – surstylus. Not to scale.