Dacus (Didacus) insolitus, White, Ian M. & Goodger, Kim F. M., 2009

White, Ian M. & Goodger, Kim F. M., 2009, African Dacus (Diptera: Tephritidae); New Species and Data, with Particular Reference to the Tel Aviv University Collection, Zootaxa 2127, pp. 1-49 : 14

Dacus (Didacus) insolitus sp.n.

Figures 20 – 26 .

Diagnosis. Differs from all other known African Dacus spp. in its lack of a facial spot (fig. 23), combined with an extensive covering of microtrichia in cell bc.

Description. Size. Very small, wing length, 2.8 – 3.8 mm. Head (fig. 23). Pedicel+1st flagellomere not longer than ptilinal suture. Face, antennal furrow without a dark spot. Frons, frontal setae 1, orbital setae 0. Thorax (figs 20, 24). Scutum red-brown; postpronotal lobe and notopleural callus concolorous with scutum; notopleural xanthine absent; lateral and medial postsutural vittae absent. Scutellum concolorous with scutum. Anepisternum without a yellow stripe. Katepisternum with a trace of a xanthine. Laterotergal xanthine absent. Setae. Anterior notopleural seta absent; anterior supra-alar seta absent. Wing (fig. 26). Basal cells bc and c with an almost complete covering of microtrichia; cell bm without microtrichia. Narrow subbasal raised section of cell br with extensive covering of microtrichia. Crossvein R-M beyond middle of cell dm. Costal band pale (but distinct) in cell r1; reduced to a very narrow and pale band in cell r2+3 (barely discernable); apically expanded into a distinctly coloured oblique spot, reaching vein M. Anal streak present (colour extending beyond cell bcu). Cells bc and c hyaline. Crossbanding; at most with a trace of a crossband on the anterior portion of R-M. Legs (fig. 25). Femora brown. Abdomen (fig. 21). Predominantly red-brown, with distinct black pear-drop shaped spots on each of terga III, IV and V, but not coalesced into a strip. Tergites I – V all fused. Male. Tergite III with pecten, dense microtrichia adjacent end A1+Cu2, and hindtibia preapical pad. Female (fig. 22). Aculeus blunt and with preapical "shoulder"; complete torsion.

Etymology. Named for its unusual ( insolitus ) combination of character states.

Material. Holotype female ( NMKE), KENYA: Nyanza, Nyamarandi Village, 1251m., 0o30.535’S, 34 o11.206’E, 6 – 20.vi.2006, malaise trap, R.S. Copeland. Paratypes: 1 female ( NMKE), KENYA: Nyanza, Rusinga Island, 1206m., 0o23.430’S, 34o10.995’E, 15. – 21.xi.2004, malaise trap, R.S. Copeland; 1 female ( MRAC), same data except, 28.xi. – 5.xii.2004; 1 male ( BMNH), same data except, 29.xii.2004 – 4.i.2005; 1 female ( BMNH), same data except, 21.iv. – 12.v.2005.

Remarks. The combination of aculeus torsion and lack of an anterior notopleural seta indicates an affinity to the Mulgens group; the abdomen pattern is similar to D. (Lophodacus) nairobensis but the dense covering of microtrichia in the narrowed portion of cell br rules out membership of sg. Lophodacus ; the complete lack of vittae (save for a trace on the katepisternum) is unusual in specimens that show no trace of postmortem staining; an almost complete coverage of microtrichia in cell bc is otherwise only known in four other African species, namely D. (D.) bequaerti Collart, 1935 , D. (Leptoxyda) arabicus White, 2006 , D. (Neodacus) melanaspis ( Munro, 1984) and D. (N.) xanthaspis ( Munro, 1984) .

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 26. Dacus (Didacus) insolitus sp. n., holotype female. 20. Mesonotum, dorsal view (scale line = 1 mm). 21. Abdomen, dorsal view (scale line = 1 mm). 22. Ovipositor with extended aculeus, dorsal view (scale line = 0.5 mm). 23. Head, anterior view (scale line = 1 mm). 24. Thorax, left lateral view (scale line = 1 mm). 25. Legs, left lateral view; fore, mid, hind (scale line = 1 mm). 26. Wing, dorsal view (scale line = 1 mm).