Manota whiteleyi, Jaschhof & Mostovski, 2006

Jaschhof, Mathias & Mostovski, Mike, 2006, First record of Manota (Diptera: Mycetophilidae: Manotinae) from southern Africa, with the description of two new species, African Invertebrates 47, pp. 237-237 : 240-242

Manota whiteleyi sp. n.

Figs 4, 5

Etymology: To honour the lepidopterist Earle Whiteley for his efforts in protecting and exploring the biodiversity of the native bush of Ramsgate Butterfly Sanctuary.

Diagnosis: Distinguished from natalensis by the longer antennae and maxillary palpi, and setose preepisternum 2. Male terminalia of natalensis and whiteleyi differ greatly. The female of whiteleyi lacks lateral setae on sternite 10 which are present in natalensis . Differs from M. joerni Søli from Tanzania in details of the male terminalia: (1) the gonocoxites with an elongate and setose lobe dorso-apically (this lobe is absent in joerni ), ordinary setae in position I+II (megasetae), and a slender lobe in position III+IV bearing apically one seta and one large, blunt megaseta (each one megaseta on two separate lobes); (2) the gonostylus bearing 3 spine-like setae dorso-mesially (without such setae). Description:

Male.

Body size 3.0– 3.2 mm.

Head: Antenna with node of fourth flagellomere 1.1 times as long as wide. Maxillary palpus long, 2.7 times the height of head; third palpal segment on apical process with 4 or 5 large curved sensilla; fourth segment subapically with small parasegment.

Thorax: Anepisternum fully setose. Anepisternal cleft completely separating anepisternum and anterior basalare. Anterior basalare and laterotergite non-setose. Preepisternum 2 and episternum 3 setose. Wing: Membrane with a few setae along posterior margin. Portion of Sc basally of h setose dorsally, portion distally of h nonsetose. CuA-fork complete. CuA-stem setose. A1 discernible as long line of setae. A2 long, setose.

Abdomen: Tergite 8 with broadly rounded distal margin; densely setose, including 5 or 6 very large setae apically. Terminalia: Sternite 9 much shorter than gonocoxites, bilobed distally, with large setae ( Fig. 4 ). Tergite 9 not traceable. Gonocoxites with setae of various lengths including very large setae along ventro-mesial margin and distolaterally; dorso-apically with elongate, setose lobe; dorso-distally, in position I+II, with 10–15 dense, short setae on small lobe; disto-mesially, in position III+IV, with slender lobe bearing apically one seta and one large, blunt megaseta ( Figs 4, 5 ). Gonostylus elongate; with setae of various lengths including some 8 very large setae along mesial and distal margins; dorso-mesially with 3 subapical spine-like setae ( Fig. 4 ). Parastylar lobe large but weak, with 5 or 6 large setae apico-mesially and dense cover of large trichia ( Fig. 4 ). Tegmen short, with apical process pointing ventrally. ( Fig. 4 ). Hypoproct with 2 large setae on apical margin; with pair of lobe-like extensions pointing ventrally on either side of tegmen apex, with setae pointing ventrally ( Fig. 4 ). Tergite 10 present as weak, bare lobe with rounded distal margin. Lobes of cerci elongate, dorso-medially fused, baso-laterally with small, weak apodemes; apically setose ( Fig. 5 ).

Female.

Body size 3.0 mm.

Head: Antennal flagellomeres with nodes 0.8 times as long as wide.

Terminalia: As in previous species, except for sternite 10 lacking lateral row of setae. Holotype: ơ (on slide). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary (30 ° 53.3'S: 30 ° 20.4'E), alt. 45 m, patch of indigenous forest near small stream, 3–26.ii.2005, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski.

Paratypes: 3ơ 1^(all on slides), same data as holotype; 1ơ (on slide), same locality but 3.xii.2004 – 8.i.2005 ; 1ơ (on slide), same locality but 9.i–2.ii.2005 .

Other material examined: 2ơ (in ethanol), same locality, 3.xii.2004 – 8.i.2005.

Remarks: Judged from features of the male terminalia, M. joerni is closest to whiteleyi , a view supported by the presence in both species of a setose preepisternum 2 and nonsetose laterotergite.

This species is known from one patch of coastal lowland forest close to the southern border of KwaZulu-Natal.All individuals were captured in summer between December and February. Preimaginal stages and the habitat of larvae are unknown.

REMARKS ON SPECIES IDENTIFICATION

As late as the 1970s, species richness in Manota had been greatly underestimated (e.g. Matile 1978). Species diagnoses from that period lack the degree of accuracy that later was realised to be indispensable for distinguishing closely related species ( Søli 1993). Most recent study strongly suggest that the male terminalia provide the only useful characters for separating sister species ( Jaschhof & Hippa 2005), a fact rendering species descriptions based only on females very problematic, if not useless. Of the 20 Afrotropical Manota species now named, three are known from the female only ( Matile 1972), and six from the male only. Male terminalia were illustrated for the 17 species where the male is known, but with varying accuracy and being only partially supplemented by sufficiently detailed descriptions. Consequently, creating a wellfunctioning key to the Afrotropical species is impossible on the basis of the available literature, and for identification we must refer to the primary sources ( Matile 1972, 1978; Søli 1993).A considerable increase in the number of Afrotropical Manota species, that may result from future study, will inevitably necessitate re-examination of types and redescription of species.

Figures

Figs 4–5. Manota whiteleyi sp. n.: (4) male terminalia, ventral view; (5) male terminalia, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.