Chonocephalus heymonsi Stobbe

(Figs 22­25, 39 ­41)

Chonocephalus heymonsi Stobbe, 1913: 131 .

Chonocephalus similis Collin, 1912: 105, part (1 female only) nec Brues, 1905. Misidentification. Chonocephalus jamaicensis Brues, 1915a: 102 . Disney, 1981: 207.

Chonocephalus dorsalis Malloch, 1935: 339, nec Wandolleck, 1898. Misidentification. Chonocephalus punctifascia Borgmeier, 1935: 257 . Prado, 1976: 587. Chonocephalus vadoni Paulian, 1958: 11 . Prado, 1976: 587.

Chonocephalus brisbanensis Beyer, 1960: 85 . Syn. nov.

Chonocephalus digitalis Borgmeier, 1967: 207 (part). Misidentification.

The type series of C. digitalis (in USNM) was found to be mixed, comprising C. americanus Borgmeier, including the holotype, and C. heymonsi (see above).

The holotype male of C. brisbanensis is severely damaged. It was collected 20 February 1955 by E. J. Reye. Another male was collected by Reye on 13 February 1955 in Brisbane, at Lota. While the holotype has lost one wing, five legs and the entire abdomen, it is nevertheless clearly conspecific with Reye’s specimen from Lota. The latter, however, is C. heymonsi . I therefore formally propose the synonymy of C. brisbanensis with C. heymonsi . Two males in the USNM labelled C. brisbanensis det. Borgmeier have also been found to be C. heymonsi . Several other specimens of C. heymonsi in the USNM are labelled C. jamaicensis or C. punctifascia, thus confirming the synonymies of these two speces with C. heymonsi . Furthermore, the figures of the male hypopygium given for C. punctifascia by Borgmeier (1935) are indubitably C. heymonsi . I have remounted a male from the series from Samoa (in the NHM) referred to by Malloch (1935) as C. dorsalis . However, it proved to be C. heymonsi .

This species is abundant in Africa south of the Sahara. For example it is known to be common in Kenya (Disney and Darlington, 1998) and abundant in Nigeria (see below). It is clearly the dominant species in the Afrotropical Region and probably originated in mainland Africa. Through the agency of man it is now reported throughout the warmer parts of the world and in glasshouses in temperate regions (Disney, 1983).

Material

5 female syntypes, Surinam: Paramaribo, from rotten fruit, February 1908, C. Heller (MNB). 1 male (as C. dorsalis), Samoa Islands, Apia, Upolu, February 1925, on fowl dung, P. A. Buxton & G. H. Hopkins (NHM ­ BM1935 ­536 ­ 2­73). 2 males (including holotype of C, brisbanensis) Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, 13 and 20 February 1955, E. J. Reye (QMB ­ 25­48). 6 males, 6 females, England, Middlesex, Enfield, Crews Hill, grid reference 52/315001, hothouse, 11 June 1978, A. G. Irwin (CUMZ ­ 4­41). Type series of C. vadoni, Madagascar, Maroantsetra, Ambohitsitondroina, J. Vadon, (lost). 1 female, Seychelles, Mahé, 1908­1909 (Collin ­ 120, misidentified as C. similis) (UMO ­ 8­ 140). 2 males, U. S. A., Miss., Pearlington, 18 July and 15 September 1966 (USNM); 1 male, Md., Forest Glen, light trap, 13 July 1966 (USNM). This species has been recorded from every Biogeographic Region.

Natural history

The larvae and puparium are described by Borgmeier (1935). A female caught on the edible paddy straw mushroom Volvariella (Plutaceae) was probably ovipositing on an over ripe sporophore, as was the case with the females recorded on rotting Termitomyces (Amanitaceae) on a termite mound (Disney, 1994). It has also been reared from bread fruit ( Artocarpus altilis (Z.) Frost, Moraceae) (Disney, 1994).

FIGURES 40­41. Chonocephalus heymonsi female: (40) whole fly from above; (41) tergite 8 (to left) and sternite 8, furca and spermatheca. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.