Apetaenus (Macrocanace) littoreus ( Hutton, 1902 )

Munari, Lorenzo, 2008, Studies on the Canacidae (Diptera), subfamily Apetaeninae. II. A review of the world subgenera of Apetaenus Eaton, with a special reference to the Australian and New Zealand species, Zootaxa 1692, pp. 26-42 : 32-33

Apetaenus (Macrocanace) littoreus ( Hutton, 1902)

(figs. 3–4, 6, 9–10)

Milichia littorea Hutton, 1902: 174 [Antipodes Islands (on pools between tide marks); HT ɗ, CMNZ].

Macrocanace littorea .— Tonnoir and Malloch, 1926: 5 [generic combination].— Harrison, 1953: 274 –276 [revision]; 1959: 250 [revision]; 1976: 142 [citation, Antipodes Island, Bounty Islands].

Apetaenus littoreus .— Mathis and Sasakawa, 1989: 667 [generic combination, Australasian/Oceanian catalog].— Mathis and Munari, 1996: 8 [World catalog].— Marris, 2000: 193 [citation, Bounty Islands].

Distribution. Australasian/Oceanian: Antipodes and Bounty islands.

Material examined. 15 ɗɗ 5 ΨΨ NZAC—from the Antipodes Islands (Reef Pt, Stella Bay) were examined, all of them formerly determined and published as Macrocanace littorea (Hutton) by Harrison (1976).

Other specimens examined. LUNZ—Antipodes Island: Anchorage Bay, ex rockhopper penguin nest, 2.xi.1995, J. W. M. Marris & T. C. Greene, 3 ɗɗ 1 Ψ; ibidem, sweeping around rocks by penguin colony, 3.xi.1995, A. R. McIntosh, 1 Ψ; ibidem, yellow pan traps in coastal vegetation ( Poa, Crasula , Leptinella , etc.) and rocks near penguin colony, 2–17.xi.1995, J. W. M. Marris, 2 ΨΨ; ibidem, under rotting Durvillea, 17.xi.1995, J. W. M. Marris, 1 Ψ. Bounty Islands: Proclamation Island, colonial on rock face, 23.xi.2004, T. De Roy, 3 ɗɗ 12 ΨΨ [in alcohol, now in the author’s collection ( MCNV)]; ibidem, in sludge by penguin nest, 12.xii.1997, F. Schmechel, 1 ɗ; ibidem, under rock, 25.xii.1997, F. Schmechel, 2 ɗɗ; ibidem, on rock face, A. M. Booth, 1 ɗ 1 Ψ.

Habitat and microhabitats. A very common, thalassobiont fly with the same ecological preferences as the preceding species. It was recorded in the literature from the following microhabitats: on pools between tide marks ( Hutton, 1902); swarming on rocks in penguin colonies, leaf mould, tussock ( Harrison, 1953); penguin dung, in association with penguin colonies and with other nesting birds ( Harrison, 1959); beach, Eudyptes crestatus colony, tussock, in swarms at surface of stagnant pools, penguin and mollymawk [also known as an albatross] colonies ( Harrison, 1976). Additionally, the following microhabitats are herein newly reported (see material examined): ex rockhopper penguin nest, around rocks by penguin colony, yellow pan traps in coastal vegetation ( Poa, Crasula , Leptinella , etc.) and rocks near penguin colony, under rotting Durvillea, colonial on rock face, in sludge by penguin nest, under rock, on rock face.

Remarks. This species differs from the related A. (Macrocanace) australis mainly by the following characters: body length of male>3.5 mm; postocellar setae absent; postocular setae hardly visible, strikingly to moderately tiny; face vertically flattened in lateral view; clypeus well exposed forward though not so strongly protrudent as that of preceding species, its distal margin about vertically beneath half of postpedicel; scutum pale grey to brownish, generally bearing 3 distinct, longitudinal, brown stripes; 1+3 dorsocentral setae (rare specimens exhibit variation, bearing 1 additional seta or, even, 1 additional pair of setae); disc of scutellum with few, scattered, marginal, tiny (sometimes microscopical) setulae besides four long and strong scutellar setae; proepisternal seta moderately long and curved; anepisternum with only 1, isolated, long, posteromedian seta, upper and lower setae absent (fig. 6); wing distinctly patterned, with numerous both elongated and rounded, pale whitish spots (figs. 9–10); dorsal surface of vein R1 bearing 10–14 spinelike setae; mid and hind femora with 1 or more (generally 2–3) long and strong, antero-dorsal setae on distal half, noticeably arising from the short setular vestiture; male terminalia (figs. 3–4) large; epandrium simple, with no ventral lobe apically; surstylus relatively short and stumpy, with subtriangular apical part (lateral view), rodlike caudally, with characteristic, yellowish, subcylindrical protuberances on its strongly indented, inner apical edge, each protuberance bearing one spinelike seta arising from the internal cavity; cercus markedly elongated, distinctly angulated on inner, apical edge; distiphallus noticeably enlarged, relatively short and thickset; female abdomen only slightly telescopically retractile; tergite 1 of female as long as or slightly shorter than half of tergite 2, with diaphanous, ventro-lateral margins; sternite 2 as long as tergite 2, sclerotized, with subparallel, spinulose, longitudinal borders; sternite 3 with a few long setae on its sclerotized borders; sternites 4–7 each bearing a pair of relatively long setae on posterior half.