Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio, 2016

Meyer, Marc De, Mwatawala, Maulid, Copeland, Robert S. & Virgilio, Massimiliano, 2016, Description of new Ceratitis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Africa, or how morphological and DNA data are complementary in discovering unknown species and matching sexes, European Journal of Taxonomy 233, pp. 1-23 : 8-10

Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A06A2B1F-6C0F-4AB5-80AD-5216E863C6A8

Fig. 2

Etymology

After the Latin word ‘pallidulus’, meaning somewhat pale (as diminutive of pallidus). The species name should be treated as an adjective.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA: Ƌ, Morogoro, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Horticulture Unit , EGOlure trap, T19570, 15 Jun. 2013, M. Mwatawala & J. Kusolwa ( RMCA).

Paratypes (deposited in RMCA, SUA, BMNH, SANC, and USNM)

TANZANIA: same locality as holotype: 16 ƋƋ, 1 Jun. 2013, T19480; 14 ƋƋ, 1 Jun. 2013, T19486; 8 ƋƋ, 15 Jun. 2013, T19570; 3 ƋƋ, 15 Jun. 2013, T19576; 10 ƋƋ, 29 Jun. 2013, T19660; 3 ƋƋ, 29 Jun. 2013, T19663; 5 ƋƋ, 29 Jun. 2013, T19666, all EGOlure trap, M. Mwatawala & J. Kusolwa; 18 ƋƋ, 1 Jun. 2013, T19482; 10 ƋƋ, 1 Jun. 2013, T19485, both Terpinyl acetate trap, M. Mwatawala & J. Joseph; 34 ƋƋ (4 ƋƋ DNA barcoded, see Table 1 ), 5–28 Jun. 2011, M. Mwatawala, EGOlure trap.

Non-type material

BURUNDI: 16 ƋƋ, Rumonge, 24 Jul.–11 Nov. 2013, terpinyl acetate trap, B. Nzigidahera ( RMCA).

ETHIOPIA: 2 ƋƋ (1 Ƌ DNA barcoded, see Table 1 ), Badano, Oct. 2010, terpinyl acetate trap, M. Mansell ( RMCA).

MALAWI: 2 ƋƋ (1 Ƌ DNA barcoded, see Table 1 ), Zomba, 31 Oct. 2010 – 7 Mar. 2011, EGOlure trap, M. Hendrickx ( RMCA).

TANZANIA: 1 Ƌ, Kimani, RtA104, 29 Aug. 1996, A. Freidberg ( TAU).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 3.0 (2.72–3.36); wing length: 3.10 (2.80–3.36) mm.

HEAD ( Fig. 2a ). Antenna yellow, first flagellomere in lateral view twice as long as wide; with short acute tip apically. Arista short pubescent, ventral proximal rays at most equal to width of arista at base. Two frontal setae, thinner than, and subequal in length to, anterior orbital seta; two orbital setae, anterior orbital longer than posterior one; ocellar seta about 3 times as long as ocellar triangle; postocellar seta black, shorter than lateral vertical seta. Frons convex, not protruding in lateral view; yellow-white. Genal seta pale, genal setulae mixed yellow and dark. Face and occiput white.

THORAX ( Fig. 2 b–c). Postpronotal lobe yellowish-white, without black middle spot around base of postpronotal seta. Scutum ground colour shining pale yellow to yellow-orange, with pale pilosity/ microtrichosity; distinct paired black spot situated between dorsocentral and prescutellar acrostichal setae, (almost) touching, but not engulfing prescutellar acrostichal seta, posteriorly with prescutellar white semi-circular or similar marking; indistinct to distinct black spot near mesal end of transverse suture; occasionally additional black medial spot at level of transverse suture; lateral margins of scutum with black spots reduced, only paired spot on posterior lateral corner well developed. Setae black, except scapulars white. Pleura yellow-white. Anepisternum dorsal margin narrowly white, ventral half sometimes darker yellow, one anepisternal seta. Anatergite white, rarely with irregular black spot. Scutellum yellowish-white, apical margin with three large separate black spots, anteriorly extending to level of basal scutellar setae; with two brown to blackish, round submedial spots basally. Subscutellum black, sometimes more yellow submedially on ventral part.

LEGS. Slender; yellow; with dispersed pale pilosity. Forefemur with pale ventral spine-like setae.

WING ( Fig. 2e ). Markings yellow to yellowish-brown. Anterior apical band, subapical band and discal band present, posterior apical band absent; anterior apical band touching discal band; subapical band isolated. Cross-vein R-M at about basal third of cell dm. Brown streaks and spots present in basal cells.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 2d ). Ground colour yellow to orange; setulae and setae dark brown. Tergites 2 and 4 on posterior half to two-thirds with greyish microtrichosity.

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi.

Host plants

Unknown.

Remarks

While this species was until recently unknown, it has been found in relatively high numbers (up to 400 flies/trap/week) through trapping activities using enriched ginger oil (EGOlure, Insect Science, Tzaneen South Africa) in central Tanzania ( Mwatawala et al. 2013; referred to as ‘ C. near cosyra’). The first identification placed this as small specimens of C. cosyra (Walker, 1849) but the morphological differences in mesonotal pattern and genetic differentiation of DNA barcodes ( Table 1 ; Supplementary file) indicated this was not the case. Afterwards, additional specimens were trapped in other countries and it appears to be present throughout a wide range. The species is similar to C. cosyra but can be readily differentiated by the absence of a black spot on the postpronotal lobe and the much smaller size. It also resembles C. quinaria (Bezzi, 1918) and C. silvestrii Bezzi, 1912 in general appearance but can be differentiated from the former by the three apical spots on the scutellum (five spots in C. quinaria ) and from both by the presence of a black spot near the prescutellar acrostichal seta (absent in both C. quinaria and C. silvestrii ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Ceratitis pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov. a. Head and thorax, anterodorsal view. b. Head and thorax, lateral view. c. Thorax, dorsal view. d. Abdomen, dorsal view. e. Wing. Scale bars = 1 mm.