Helina harrisorum, Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian C., 2014

Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian C., 2014, New species of Afrotropical Muscidae (Diptera: Muscoidea), Zootaxa 3852 (3), pp. 301-320 : 307-309

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3852.3.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:13B15A57-576A-4617-9D8A-7F27D970315A
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6137880
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FF8784-4606-FFD7-FF5E-FDEA6BC4B52D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Helina harrisorum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Helina harrisorum sp. nov.

Figs 3 View FIGURES 1 – 4. 1 , 13–17 View FIGURES 13 – 19 .

Type material. Holotype ♂, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Free State, Harrismith, Mooihoekkop, 28°10′50.0′S, 29°10′51.1′E, ca. 1800 m, Malaise traps, Leucosedea -dominated scrub, 14–16.ix.2009 (A.H. Kirk- Spriggs), BMSA (D)08761 ( BMSA).

Paratypes, 56♂ 41♀. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 48♂ 33♀, same data as holotype, except: BMSA (D)08760, 0 8763, 0 8764, 0 8782, 0 8788, 0 8797, 0 8799, 0 8800, 0 8806, 0 8808, 0 8818, 0 8819, 08821–08824, 0 8828, 0 8832, 0 8834, 0 8839, 0 8863, 0 8865, 0 8866, 0 8868, 0 8871, 0 8883, 0 8887, 0 8922, 0 8981, 0 9101, 0 9105, 0 9106, 0 9109, 0 9110, 0 9113, 0 9135, 0 9138, 0 9139, 0 9141, 0 9145, 0 9151, 0 9156, 09158–09165, 0 9167, 09169–09176, 0 9178, 0 9179, 09181–09183, 0 9189, 0 9190, 0 9195, 0 9201, 0 9202, 0 9206, 0 9208, 0 9215, 09225–09229, 10026, 10044, 10057, 10066” (all BMSA); 1♂, 2♀, same, except: BMSA (D)08762, 0 9111, 0 9180 (all MNRJ); 1♂, same, except: BMSA (D)10265 ( BMNH); RSA: Free State, Harrismith, Nesshurst farm, 28°26′53.3′S, 29°09′14.2′E, Malaise traps, Leucosedea -scrub & stream bed, 17–18.ix.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), 2♂, 2♀, BMSA (D)10739, 10760, 10795, 10849 (all BMSA); RSA: Free State, Harrismith, Scotland farm at: 27°58′59.5′S, 29°37′09.8′E, Malaise traps, dense Leucosedea -dominated scrub, 10–12.xi.2009 (A.H. Kirk- Spriggs), 4♂, 5♀, BMSA (D)11453, 11504, 11542, 11561, 11607, 11616, 11660, 11687, 11740 (all BMSA); same, except: BMSA (D)11648, 1♂ ( MNRJ); RSA: Free State, Harrismith, Geluksdal farm at: 27°54′7.05′S,29°23′31.9′E, Malaise traps, sparse Leucosedea -dominated scrub, 9–10.xi.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), 1♂, BMSA (D)13230 ( BMSA); RSA: Eastern Cape, Tsitsikamma N.P., below Sleepkloof hut at: 33°56.974′S, 23°54.926′E, Malaise trap, indigenous forest, 20–22.i.2009 (A. Kirk-Spriggs & S. Otto), 1♀, BMSA (D)03159 ( BMSA).

Diagnosis. Distinguishable by the colour patterning of the notum, the bare meron and presence of 2 postsutural intra-alars. Morphologically similar to H. icterica (Séguy, 1937) and H. scutellaris Zielke, 1971 , but H. icterica has virtually clear crossveins and the dark abdominal maculae obsolescent, whilst H. scutellaris differs from the new species, according to Zielke’s (1971) description, by the wings having a strong yellowish brown tinge.

Description. General colouration. Ground colour brown and yellow, with grey to whitish grey pruinosity; head with frons black; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and face silvery pruinose; gena grey; antenna brown, scape with yellow areas, arista brown; palpus yellow; notum with patterning as in Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1 – 4. 1 ; pleura mostly yellow, with large grey-brown areas on anepisternum, anepimeron and meron; spiracles yellow; wing with black infuscations over r–m and dm–cu crossveins, the latter more intense at its ends; bifurcation of veins R2+3 and R4+5 dark brown; veins otherwise yellow; calypters white; haltere light yellow, knob white; legs yellow, tarsi brown; abdomen brown, with grey pruinosity and some yellow marks, especially in female; syntergite 1 + 2 of male mostly yellow; syntergite 1 + 2 and tergites 3–4 with light brown lateral infuscations; tergite 5 with median fascia, not reaching the posterior margin, bases of setae in female with small brown round marks.

♂. Measurements. Body length: 6.0 mm; wing length: 5.6 mm.

Head. Eye bare; eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by distance equal to ¼ head-width; frons narrowed medially; 3 pairs of frontal setae close to lunule; medial vertical seta long, lateral vertical short; ocellar setae short; antenna inserted at mid-level of eye, postpedicel ca. 3 × length of pedicel; arista long-plumose, the longest combined plumosity equal to length of postpedicel; palpus filiform.

Thorax. Dorsocentrals 2 + 3; acrostichal setulae in 3–4 irregular rows presuturally, arranged in 5–6 irregular rows postsuturally, prescutellar pair fine; 2 postpronotals; 1 presutural and 2 postsutural intra-alars; 1 presutural and 2 postsutural supra-alars, posterior one short; 2 postalars; prealar present, but short, barely 3 × as long as ground-setulae; notopleuron with 2 setae, the posterior slightly shorter than anterior, otherwise bare; anepisternum with series of 4 long setae, with finer one between third and fourth, and setula in upper anterior corner; katepisternals 1 + 2 (some specimens with short, but distinct, lower anterior seta). Scutellum with 1 long basal and 1 long apical pair of setae, similar in length; margins and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Fore femur with rows of posteroventral, posterior and posterodorsal setae; fore tibia with posterior median seta and dorsal preapical seta; apical posteroventral long; mid femur with series of anterodorsal setae in basal ½ and 1 preapical, 3 posteroventral setae in basal ⅓, but no anteroventrals; 3 posterior preapicals, 1 short; mid tibia with 2–3 posterodorsal setae, without anterodorsals; anterior, anteroventral, ventral and posteroventral apical setae, the ventral one longer; hind femur with complete row of anterodorsal setae and well-spaced row of 4–6 anteroventrals, anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal surfaces with preapical setae; hind tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal setae on median ⅓, 1 submedian anteroventral, 1 dorsal and 1 anterodorsal preapical, and 1 long ventral apical.

Wing. Veins bare; veins R4+5 and M parallel at wing-tip; costal spine developed; lower calypter large, ca. 2 × length of upper calypter.

Abdomen. Syntergite 1 + 2 and tergite 3 with lateral setae; tergites 4–5 each with marginal and discal row of setae; sternite 1 bare.

Terminalia . Cercal plate virtually as high as wide; surstylus large ( Figs 13–14 View FIGURES 13 – 19 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 15 View FIGURES 13 – 19 .

♀. Measurements. Body length: 6.2 mm; wing length: 5.9 mm.

Similar to male, differing in the following respects: frons with 5 pairs of setae (frontals and orbitals) along entire length (not confined to area close to lunule as in males); ovipositor long, with microtrichia on both sides ( Figs 16–17 View FIGURES 13 – 19 ); spermathecae round, as in Fig. 17 View FIGURES 13 – 19 .

Distribution. Republic of South Africa (Free State, Eastern Cape).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Sandra and John Harris and is a Latinized noun in the genitive plural.