Silba wittei, Macgowan, Iain, 2015

Macgowan, Iain, 2015, A review of the Silba admirabilis McAlpine species group (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) with descriptions of thirteen new species from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 4032 (5), pp. 515-534 : 528

Silba wittei sp. nov.

The single specimen is in poor condition.

Description. Male: Head: Eyes bare. Frons 0.5x width of an eye, subshining black, dulled by microsculpture, frontal and interfrontal setulae less than 0.25x length of orbital seta. Orbital plate shining black, bare apart from orbital seta. Lunule with dull brown ground colour, covered in silver pollinosity, parafacials and face more lightly dusted. Anterior genal setulae in a single row of 7 along mouth margin, these slightly separated from the other setulae, the basal three are the longest setulae on the genae. Antennae; 1st flagellomere black apart from an obscure brownish area at extreme medial base, length to depth ratio 2.9:1. Arista missing.

Thorax: mesonotum subshining blue black. Anepisternum and katepisternum with most setae missing. Proepimeron and proepisternum each with 1 seta. Scutellum with disc heavily grey dusted, on margin between the lateral and apical setae with only 1 setulae present on right side. Calypteres white with white fringes. Wings clear, wing length 3.8mm. Legs entirely black, basal tarsomeres yellow/brown, apical segments darkened.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 27–28): epandrium and associated structures of the standard S. admirabilis group type. Phallus: basal plate a relatively thin, translucent structure, in ventral view narrowly Y-shaped, widening gradually from base, divided at apex by a relatively narrow, deep incision, each side simply tapering towards apex In lateral view apices. Apex of phallus broken off, basiphallus slightly swollen, bearing spicules at base of distiphallus.

Type material. Holotype ♂. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO; P.N.G. (Park Nationale Garamba ), Kamitungulu (1700m), 31.iv.1947, Miss. G.F.de Witte.,

Only known from the holotype, specimen in MRAC.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to G.F.de Witte who captured the holotype of this species.