Chaetonerius madagasikara, Sepúlveda & De Carvalho, 2019

Sepúlveda, Tatiana A. & De Carvalho, Claudio J. B., 2019, Chaetonerius Hendel (Neriidae: Diptera) from the East African islands with description of four new species from Madagascar and the Comoros, Zootaxa 4567 (1), pp. 130-146 : 143-145

Chaetonerius madagasikara sp.n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:42056FFE-12D9-4AF0-9204-2167E6FAE2D4

Diagnosis. Antennal base absent. Face yellow. Two setulae between anterior fronto-orbital seta and anterior margin of fronto-orbital plate. Thorax with two narrow longitudinal yellow stripes dorsally, converging near scutoscutellar suture; narrow and short yellow stripe medially near transverse suture. Proepisternal lobe with slight anterodorsal protuberance. Katepisternum brown. Katatergite yellow. Mid and hind coxae brown. Surstylus almost as long as cercus. Cercus wide linear with round apex and conspicuously long setae ( Fig. 25 ).

Male. Body length 4.8 mm; brown and partially yellow in head, thorax and abdomen ( Fig. 19 ).

Head. Anterior margin of frons slightly convex; fronto-orbital plate narrow and yellow with white pruinescence; three fronto-orbital setae equidistant ( Fig. 15 ); anterior fronto-orbital seta nearly half length of posterior fronto-orbital seta; frontal vitta mostly blackish-brown, except for median yellow stripe narrowing towards ocellar triangle; vertex brown, bordered laterally by narrow yellow stripe extending from fronto-orbital plate to occipital foramen, delineating the brown median occipital sclerite; area around insertion of outer vertical seta, slightly inflated. Occiput brown with median yellow stripe; two postocular setae; four occipital setae; postgena with few yellow setulae laterally and no black setulae. Faint frontogenal suture fades out below parafacial. Antennae. Arista brown with base white, covered by short pubescence; arista inserted sub-apically; scape and pedicel together, measuring near half the length of first flagellomere.

Thorax. Scutellum trapezoid with curved margins; length of distal margin between scutellar apical setae, less than half the distance between prescutellar dorsocentral setae; median yellow stripe as wide as thoracic yellow stripes; discal scutellar seta slightly shorter than anterior notopleural seta. Pleuron mostly brown with dorsal yellow stripe from dorsal half of proepisternal lobe to wing base and anterior half of anepimeron. Proepisternum brown on dorsal half and yellow on ventral half, with three brown setulae; ventral margin with two brown setulae and one black seta same length as anterior notopleural seta. Anepisternum with brown setulae posteriorly. Katepisternum with several yellow setulae on posterior half. Wings. Infuscate around reaching point of veins R 2+3 and C and veins R 4+5 and M 1 with C; length 4.4 mm and width 1.3 mm. Legs. Fore coxa yellow with one anterolateral seta. Femora brown with yellow ring on distal third; fore femur with very short spine-like anteroventral setae on distal third.

Abdomen. Tergites brown with two wide dorsal longitudinal yellow stripes; sternite 6 visor-shaped and expanded over two proximal thirds of epandrium ( Fig. 25 ). Distal margin of epandrium, ventrally reaching the anterior half of fourth abdominal segment ventrally; surstylus linear and narrow; cercus linear with curved apex, slightly longer than half epandrium; cercus with very long brown setulae, more densely placed on the apex; outer margin of phallapodeme linear; pregonite linear; postgonite rounded with 4–5 spines and slightly sclerotized basally; distiphallus partially sclerotized with median longitudinal membranous area except for the completely membranous area medially and apex bearing two spikes, one sclerotized and short and other mostly membranous and longer.

Variation. Body length 4.8–6.7 mm. Body generally dark brown to brownish-black. Median yellow line of transversal suture absent in several darker specimens from Fianarantsoa. Wing length 4.2–6.8 mm and width 1.2–1.9 mm. Fore coxa in most cases with two anterolateral setae on one side and two, three or one on the other. Fore femur with small anteroventral spine-like setae: one strong medial spine-like seta and three prominent setae not spine-like on distal third. One specimen from Montagne d'Amore, with small hair-like fronto-orbital seta accompanying the anterior fronto-orbital seta and fully brown abdomen.

Female. Body length 4.8–6.5 mm. Fore coxa with one or two long, but not spine-like anterolateral setae. Fore femur with one or three anteroventral setae, also noted for being longer, but not spine-like. Oviscape yellow with median longitudinal brown V-shaped stripe and black apex.

Type Material (31 specimens) HOLOTYPE, Chaetonerius madagasikara ♂ (1) Magadascar: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7 km W. Ranomafana, 900m, 10–16 February 1990, W. E. Steiner (2) Malaise trap in small clearing. montane rain forest [ USNM, 468] . PARATYPES, 1♂, (1) Ambositra (2) Institut Scientifique, MADAGASCAR (3) NMSA-DIP 71551 [ DMSA, 1645]; 6♂ 9♀, (1) Hanging trap, baited with fermenting fruit (2) MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park , Talatakely , 800m SW entrance, 21°15.48'S, 47°25.27'E, 16–19.x. 2014, 610m, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & R. Harin'Hala (3) Entomology Dept. National Museum, P. O. Box 266, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa (4) BMSA (D) ¯ 61228; 61227; 61217; 61224; 61223; 61230; 61220; 61221; 61225; 61229; 61226; 61231, 61219; 61222; 61218¯ [ BMSA, 1694, 1693, 1689, 1684, 1685, 1683, 1691, 1692, 1680, 1681, 1682, 1696, 1687, 1686, 1688]; 1♂ 1♀, (1) MADAGASCAR E. Perinet ( Andasibe ), 16–17.iv.1991, A. FRIEDBERG & FINI KAPLAN (2) SMNH-TAUI ¯255769; 255770¯ [ TAUI, 739, 738]; 1♀, (1) MADAGASCAR, Mandraka 75kmE, Antananarivo, 16.iv.1991 Rt 2, A. FRIEDBERG & FINI KAPLAN (2) SMNH-TAUI 205772.[ TAUI, 736]; 1♂, (1) MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7 kmW. Ranomafana, 900m, 1–7 March 1990, W. E. Steiner (2) Malaise trap in small clearing, montane rain forest [ USNM, 466/dissected]; 1♂, (1) MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7kmW Ranomafana , 900m, 23–28 February 1990, W. E. Steiner (2) Flight Intercept-yellow pan trap in Malaise trap in small clearing, montane rainforest [ USNM, 512]; 1♀, (1) MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7kmW Ranomafana , 900m, 17–22 February 1990, W. E. Steiner (2) Malaise trap in small clearing, montane rain forest [ USNM, 513]; 1♀, (1) MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7kmW Ranomafana , 1100m, 1–7 November 1988, W.E. Steiner (2) Flight intercept-yellow pan trap in Malaise trap in small clearing, montane rainforest [ USNM, 1147]; 1♂, (1) MADAGASCAR: Ranomafana Forest , 21°15´S 47°27´E, 26–29.x. 2007, 932m, L. GAHANAMA (2) SMNH-TAUI 205631 [ TAUI, 873]; 3♂, (1) Madagascar- Nord Montagne d´Ambre 1000m det Diégo Suarez, 23.xi–4.xii.57 B. Stuckenberg (2) NMSA-DIP ¯ 29801; 29806; 71525– [ NMSA, 1667, 1697, 1655]; 2♀, (1) Malaise traps secondary rainforest (2) MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely, 800m SW entrance, 21°15.48'S, 47°25.27'E, 16–19.x. 2014, 610m, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & R. Harin'Hala (3) Entomology Dept. National Museum, P. O. Box 266 Bloemfontein 9300 South Africa (4) BMSA (D) ¯ 60699; 58799¯ [ BMSA, 1699, 1690]; 1♀, (1) Sweeping paths, secondary rainforest (2) MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely , 800m SW entrance, 21°15.48'S, 47°25.27'E, 18.x. 2014, 610m, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & R. Harin'Hala (3) Entomology Dept. National Museum, P. O. Box 266 Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa (4) BMSA (D) 61387 [BMSA, 1695].

Etymology. The specific epithet madagasikara , derives from the name of the Malagasy island on its native language. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Madagascar (Diana Region, Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Analamanga Region, Amoron´i Mania Region, Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region).

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Male genitalia of Chaetonerius of the East African islands, lateral and ventral views, square showing the zoomed apex of distiphallus (out of scale). 21. C. alluaudi [SANC, 1604]; 22. C. ebejeri [CSCA, 2246]; 23. C. kirkspriggsi [CSCA, 2241]; 24. C. kotrbae [USNM, 1633]; 25. C. madagasikara [USNM, 466].

FIGURES 16–20. Male habitus of Chaetonerius of the East African islands. 16. C. kirkspriggsi (HT); 17. C. ebejeri (HT); 18. C. alluaudi [BMSA, 1858]; 19. C. madagasikara (HT); 20. C. kotrbae (HT). Abbreviation: HT, holotype.

FIGURES 11–15. Head lateral of the holotypes of the new species of Chaetonerius. 11. C. ebejeri, detailed area below the scape showing the underdeveloped antennal base pointed by the arrow; 12. C. ebejeri; 13. C. kotrbae; 14. C. kirkspriggsi; 15. C. madagasikara.