Bengalia gaillardi Surcouf & Guyon, 1912

Rognes, Knut, 2012, 3553, Zootaxa 3553, pp. 1-79 : 40-46

5. Bengalia gaillardi Surcouf & Guyon, 1912

Figs. 95–118.

Bengalia spurca Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891: 420 . Nomen nudum. [As “ spurca Wd litt. Guinea ” under “ Bengalia R. D.”] Note. Villeneuve (1914: 253) wrote “ Bengalia spurca Br. et Berg. type = Gaillardi Surcouf type)” (unbalanced parentheses in original).

Bengalia depressa: Surcouf & Guyon 1912: 426 , unnumbered figure of the genitalia of a male specimen. Misidentification, not depressa Walker. A female and male received from Guinea [“…reçu de Alin Hauet, Administratuer adjoint des Colonies en Guinée ”].

Note. The dentate flanges of the antlers are clearly visible in the drawing, as well as the deep excavation on the medial side of distal half of the surstylus and the strong curvature of the cerci in profile. These features show that the specimen illustrated belongs to Bengalia gaillardi .

Bengalia gaillardi Surcouf & Guyon, 1912: 427 . Lectotype male (MNHN, examined), by present designation. Type locality: “Koulouba”, Niger – Chad boundary. [ Not found on maps. There is a locality in Chad named Kouloudia, at 13°01'26''N 15°16'30''E, which may be the same. If this is correct, the type locality is in Chad.]

Note. Villeneuve (1914: 253) reports to have seen the male type [s] in Paris, stating, about a specimen he found of another nominal species, as being “= Gaillardi Surcouf type)”.

Bengalia gaillardi: Villeneuve, 1913a: 153 . Described the male fore tibia (in the footnote) and the female ovipositor.

Bengalia spurca Villeneuve, 1914: 253 .

Note. Villeneuve (1914: 253) claims to have seen the male “ type ” [= a typical specimen?] of spurca Brauer & Bergenstamm in their collection in NMW], as being “= Gaillardi Surcouf type)” (cf. entry for spurca B& B, above).

Bengalia spurca: Malloch 1927: 410 . Nigeria (Ibadan), Ivory Coast, Niger (Maradi), Togo.

Bengalia gaillardi: Zumpt 1956: 170 . Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania (as Tanganyika), Namibia (as S.W.Africa), Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bengalia gaillardi: Rickenbach, Hamon & Ovazza, 1962: 137 . Guinea (as Guinée), Burkina Faso (as Haute Volta), Ivory Coast (as Cote d’Ivoire).

Bengalia gaillardi: Rickenbach 1967: 47 . Central African Republic.

Bengalia gaillardi: Pont 1980: 791 . Catalogue entry.

Afridigalia gaillardi: Lehrer 2005: 42 , 44 fig. 17A–E. Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone.

Afridigalia lubana Lehrer, 2005: 50 , 51 fig. 20A–E. Holotype male (MSNM, not examined), by original designation. Type locality: Nigeria (Onisata).

Note. Synonymy introduced and discussed by Rognes (2006).

Afridigalia sanaga Lehrer, 2005: 67 , 68 fig. 29A–E. Holotype male (TAU, not examined), by original designation. Type locality: Cameroon (Bambalang). Paratypes recorded from Kenya, Nigeria and Chad .

Note. Synonymy introduced and discussed by Rognes (2006). The features used by Lehrer (2005) in his key on pp. 25–26 to distinguish his various nominal species regarding the structure of the surstylus in lateral view are obviously very sensitive to the exact angle of view and cannot be given weight. Interestingly, by only showing a lateral view, Lehrer has not shown or noted the rather deep excavation on the inside of the surstylus of B. gaillardi as seen in posterior view.

Afridigalia gaillardi: Lehrer 2006: 8 . Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Malawi (as “ Nyassaland ”), Uganda, Sierra Leone, Sudan.

Bengalia gaillardi: Kurahashi & Kirk-Spriggs 2006: 61 . I have examined all 27 specimens reported by them from Namibia under this name, but 12 of these have been misidentified and belong to other taxa. For details about the misidentified specimens, see Material examined, entry for NMNW, below.

Diagnosis. Male. Length: 12–14mm (n=4). Frons at vertex / head width ratio: 0.32–0.33 (mean 0.33, n=3). Recognisable by the shape of the ST5 flap as in Fig. 106 (care should be taken to ensure that all of the posterolateral parts are observed) in combination with a row of several strong ventral spine-like setae on fore tibia and a strong fringe on the hind tibia.

Anepimeron with a bundle of black setulae in upper part, lower part with pale setulae only. Fore tibia with a row of strong ventral spine-like setae on proximal third, strongest about as long as diameter of tibia. Hind tibia with a fringe on lower two thirds, rather dense on av and v surfaces, usually also affecting the pv surface slightly.

ST2–4 broad and densely clothed with long pale thin setae. ST5 flap with a conspicuous medial U-shaped, sharply set-off excavation in the middle third of the hind edge, the lateral parts of the hind edge usually forming two sharp corners on each side, one at the exit of the excavation, the other towards the lateral edge of ST5 flap; the hind edge of the ST5 flap rather transverse.

Cerci strongly curved in lateral view. Inner edge of surstylus in posterior view with a pronounced excavation distally. Bacilliform sclerite process, triangular and blunt.

In distiphallus the hind two thirds of the dorsolateral wing visible in dorsal and ventral views as a transparent projecting sheet, with a convex lateral border ( Figs. 103, 105). The outermost part of the edge appears slightly folded down. Antler with prominent flange along the anterior edge with 4–9 conspicuous projecting teeth or serrations from base to tip of antler. Upper lip strongly projecting in lateral view, distal edge semicircular in dorsal view, laterally with two distinct small emarginations, deeply concave below as seen from front. Distal finger slightly curved in dorsal view; proceeding almost horizontally forwards, in lateral view; the tip of each finger pointing forwards and slightly laterally, the extreme tip being situated slightly medial to a line drawn through the base of the distal finger and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the distiphallus; tip of distal finger separated from distal edge of upper lip by a distance longer than the finger itself.

Female. Length: 9–14mm (n=4). Frons at vertex / head width ratio: 0.32–0.33 (mean 0.32, n=3). ST2 with short and very strong spinous setae along hind margin; similar setae along lateral and hind margins of ST3–5, sometimes in several rows laterally. There is usually a narrow middle part of the hind edge of ST2–5 that is not occupied by strong setae. T5 without a concave area of un- or weakly sclerotised membrane middorsally at the hind end behind the marginal setae. T6 sclerotised rather extensively, mostly around spiracles but also medially. T7 and T8 rather broad rods. ST6 narrow basally and broad distally, as usual in Bengalia , but divided almost completely along midventral line. ST7 also divided completely. Epiproct and cerci elongate, possibly fused to each other apically (but details very difficult to make out, cf. Figs. 116, 117), with long strong spine-like setae in addition to soft curved ones, forming a long, narrow, up-curving, sting-like ovipositor tip. [1 ovipositor examined.]

Discussion. The fundamental properties of the distiphallus of B. gaillardi are not revealed in Lehrer’s (2005: 25–26) key or his drawings of the genitalia. The complex structure of the B. gaillardi antler, with an elongate fragile flange with a row of pointed processes, is likely to have been disturbed by Lehrer’s method of genitalia preparation. To me this explains the different appearance of the antler in his figures of Afridigalia gaillardi ( Lehrer 2005: 44 fig. 17C), A. lubana ( Lehrer 2005: 51 fig. 20C) and A. sanaga ( Lehrer 2005: 68 fig. 29C); none of them are particularly true to the real version. In all these figures it is also evident that he has seen the distal finger, but not understood or employed its structure for comparative purposes, since he has seen it only in lateral view. Similarly, the clear and expanded area of the posterior part of the dorsolateral wing in B. gaillardi (cf. Figs. 103, 105) can be recognised in his figures, but they have been somewhat deformed before having been illustrated.

Biology. The capture dates in the material I have examined are from January–April, and from June–December. The dates for the correctly identified specimens in Kurahashi & Kirk-Spriggs (2006: 62) are January, March, April and December. Lehrer (2005, 2006) reports dates from the periods January–February, April–August and November–December. Thus, B. gaillardi has been captured all the year round. Also captured on board steamships.

Distribution. Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, * Cameroon, * Chad / Niger boundary, * Chad, * Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, * Ghana, Guinea, * Ivory Coast, Kenya, * Liberia, Malawi, Mali, * Namibia, Niger, * Nigeria, South Africa, * Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, * Uganda. [The locality “Nala” reported by Lehrer (2006: 8) to be in Congo is in fact situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.]

Material examined. Type material. Bengalia gaillardi Surcouf & Guyon, 1912 . Lectotype male, here designated, in MNHN, labelled: (1) TYPE [black print on red label]; (2) Auchmeromyia sp. / Koulouba – 13 Aout 1908 – se nourrissant / de larves de termites autour d’une souche / pourrie qui venait d’être déterrée [Original handwritten text in black ink. The first line is streaked out by a double red line, and the following handwritten text in red ink added on the top of the label]? Gen. et sp. nov. près Ochromyia , / (Macq. / E.E.A. 20.IX.11. [E.E.A is E. E. Austen at the BMNH, who is stated to have examined the specimen]; (3) Bengalia / Gaillardi Surcouf [handwritten by Surcouf]; (4) My lectotype label ( Fig. 99).

This species was described on the basis of two specimens received from “ Dr. Gaillard, membre de la Mission de délimitation de la frontière Niger-Tschad, …”. The specimens were feeding on termite larvae surrounding a rotten tree-root having just been dug out of the ground. The locality was given as Koulouba, which I have not found on any map. There is a locality in Chad named “Kouloudia”, at 13°01'26''N 15°16'30'' E, which may be the same. If this is correct, the type locality is in Chad. In MNHN is now only a single male which I have labelled and here designate as the lectotype of Bengalia gaillardi Surcouf & Guyon, 1912 . It is in good condition and all legs, except the left mid tibia are intact. It fits the description. The genitalia are in an exerted position, but the ST5 flap cannot be seen. The pronounced excavation in the medial side of the surstylus is visible. In the dried distiphallus the distal fingers and the characteristic flanges of the antlers are visible. The fore tibia is as in Fig. 95, and the hind tibial fringe does not involve the pv side of the tibia. The abdominal posterior marginal dark band on T3 is almost as broad as one half of the segment length, on T4 about one fourth, and very narrow on T5 .

Other material. CNC: Uganda: 1 male labelled (1) Budongo Forest nr / Lk. Albert UGANDA / 1000 M Apr 1972 / E. B. Babyetagara; (2) KR’s determination label; Nigeria: 1 male labelled (1) N. NIGERIA / Zaria, / Samaru, / 20.vi 1968 [printed; in last line only 196 printed, other numbers handwritten]; (2) J. C. Deeming / m. v.trap ; (3) KR’s determination label. This specimen has the genitalia exposed and the antlers and distal fingers clearly visible. MNHN: Cameroon: 1 female labelled (1) Sud – Cameroun / Yaoundé-Nkolbisson / 16 Octobre 1967 / Leg. L. Tsacas [printed on blue label; number 16 in line 3 is handwritten]; (2) MUSEUM PARIS [printed on blue label]; (3) My determination label. Guinea: 1 female labelled (1) Boffa – Guinée / sédit [?rédit] Surcouf [ink handwritten]; (2) Bengalia / depressa / Wlk (Surc.) [handwritten, ink]; (3) Bengalia / depressa / Walk. [handwritten ink]; (4) B. depressa [long label handwritten in pencil on white paper; to distinguish it as one of the five specimens placed under “ depressa ” borrowed from MNHN]; (5) My determination label as B. gaillardi . This is a typical female of B. gaillardi , with very strongly armed abdominal sternites. Ivory Coast: 1 female labelled (1) LAMTO (Toumodi) / Côte d’Ivoire / PNBS35 19.11.63 [printed, last line handwritten]; (2) MUSEUM PARIS / COLL. E.N.S. PARIS [printed on blue label]; (3) COTE D IVOIRE / LAMOTTE ET COLLAB. [printed on blue label]; (3) My determination label. 1 female labelled (1) LAMTO (Toumodi) / Côte d’Ivoire / PNB 29.10.63 [printed, last line handwritten]; (2) MUSEUM PARIS / COLL. E.N.S. PARIS [printed on blue label]; (3) COTE D IVOIRE / LAMOTTE ET COLLAB. [printed on blue label]; (3) My determination label. Senegal: 1 male labelled (1) SENEGAL M’BOUR / St. ORSTOM / 30-VII-1981 / B. SIGWALT leg. [printed on blue label]; (2) Piège / lumineux [printed]; (3) My determination label. NMNW: Namibia: 5 males and 10 females from various Namibian localities listed by Kurahashi & Kirk-Spriggs (2006: 62) under B. gaillardi . Unfortunately, there are 12 misidentifications among the total of 27 records listed, as follows: the female from Kaross is B. peuhi ; a male from Salambala forest (dissected by KR), a male from Hamoye Nat. Forest, 4 males and 4 females from Nama and a male from 10 km W Dussi, all listed under B. gaillardi , are misidentified B. tibiaria ; for details see sections where B. peuhi and B. tibiaria are treated. These records must be deleted from list of B. gaillardi in Namibia. I have given all material my determination label. NMSA [7 males and 6 females]: Democratic Republic of Congo: 1 male labelled (1) MUSÉE DU CONGO / Tembisa (Thysville) [now = Mbanza-Ngungu] / 1934 / A. Leghos [handwritten except line 1]; (2) Bengalia ♂ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 55 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 57947 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Ghana: 1 male labelled (1) GOLD COAST / Nthn. Territory / Zuarungu / 30.vi.1949 / J. Bowden / Rest House, lights. [handwritten except lines 1 and 5 which are printed]; (2) NMSA-DIP / 17728 [printed]; (3) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (4) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . 1 female (staged) labelled (1) GOLD COAST / Ejura / 22.viii.1947 / J. Bowden / 477/47 [handwritten except lines 1 and 5 which are printed]; (2) Bengalia / spurca B.B. van Emden det. 1948 [handwritten, last line is printed except last digit]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 17715 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . 1 female (staged) labelled (1) GOLD COAST / Ejura / 22.viii.1947 / J. Bowden / 476/47 [handwritten except lines 1 and 5 which are printed]; (2) NMSA-DIP / 57940 [printed]; (3) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (4) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Ivory Coast: 1 female labelled (1) Fauch. Quant / 16 Janv. 1971 / GFB [handwritten]; (2) ( COTE D’IVOIRE) LAMTO / D. LACHAISE LEG [printed on blue label]; (3) MUSÉUM PARIS [printed on blue label]; (4) Bengalia ♀ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 71 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (5) NMSA-DIP / 57951 [printed]; (6) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (7) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Note. The specimen has been dissected. The dried abdominal tergites T1–5 are glued to a card above the labels; ST1–5, ovipositor and spermathecae are in glycerol in glass microvial below label 6. Liberia: 1 female labelled (1) Bendu / Robertsport / Liberia [printed]; (2) II.7.1943 / F.M.Snyder [printed, except month, day and last digit in year which are handwritten]; (3) Bengalia ♀ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 52 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (4) NMSA-DIP / 57949 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Namibia: 1 male labelled (1) Warmbad / S.W.A. [= South West Africa]; (2) Bengalia ♂ / gaillardi S & G. / det Zumpt 50 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 17722 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . 1 female labelled (1) Okakuejo / S.W.Africa / 13.III.1971 [printed]; (2) Bengalia ♀ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 71 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 57945 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . 1 female labelled (1) Kaolo Otavi / S.W.A. (upper side of label) / Mus. Exp. / Mar. 1926 (lower side of label) [printed]; (2) Bengalia ♀ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 50 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 57946 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Nigeria: 1 male labelled (1) Maiduguri / Nigeria / 4.xi.1942 / F. Snyder [printed, except day, month and last digit in year]; (2) Bengalia ♂ / gaillardi S & G. / det Zumpt 51 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 57948 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . 1 male labelled (1) N. Nigeria / Kafin Soli / 15.ix.1951 / J Bowden 297/51 [handwritten]; (2) NMSA-DIP / 17716; (3) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (4) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi .

On board a steam ship: 1 male labelled (1) Cape Verdi / 30.ix.1923 / G.v.Son / SS Rietfontein [handwritten] [captured on board the steam ship SS Rietfontein ?]; (2) Bengalia ♂ / gaillardi S & G. / det Zumpt 79 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 17718 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . Note. The epandrium, cerci and surstyli are glued as a unit to a card above the labels. Cerci very narrow and a large medial excavation in each surstylus. The ST 5 flap is in situ on the abdominal tip. Uganda : 1 male labelled (1) Buamba / Uganda / 17.VI.1946; (2) Bengalia ♂ / gaillardi S & G. / det. Zumpt 55 [handwritten by Zumpt]; (3) NMSA-DIP / 17723 [printed]; (4) NATAL MUSEUM / Pietermaritzburg / South Africa [printed on green label]; (5) KR’s determination label as B. gaillardi . ZMUN: Ghana : 1 male labelled: (1) Gold Coast / N. Territories. / Sankwatta / 13.IX.1916 / Dr. J J.Simpson [handwritten]; (2) Department of Zoology / Natural History Museum / University of Oslo / ( ZMUN) / World collection [printed]; (3) KR’s determination label. I have dissected the specimen, which was placed very low on the pin. On a separate pin are the dried abdominal tergites T1–5 glued to a card and the dissected genitalia in glycerol in a glass microvial below the card. This pin has been labelled with small photographs of the original labels . 1 male labelled (1) GOLD COAST / N TERRITORIES / TOMAKLAW / 1 2 1916 / Dr. J. J. SIMPSON [printed]; (2) Department of Zoology / Natural History Museum / University of Oslo / ( ZMUN) / World collection [printed]; (3) Bengalia / spurca B.B. / van Emden 1944 [handwritten; last line is printed except last digit which is handwritten]; (4) KR’s determination label. The specimen is staged. It has been dissected by KR. The left fore leg and the dried abdominal tergites T1–5 are glued to a card above the labels. The dissected genitalia are in glycerol in a glass microvial below label 3. RMNH / ZMAN: Chad : 1 male labelled (1) TCHAD / BEBEDIJA / Near Moundou / 12.VII.1970 / J.H.&M. Lourens [printed except 12.VII. which is handwritten]; (2) KR’s determination label . 1 male labelled (1) AFRICA TCHAD / BEBEDIJA 400m / near Moundou / 8. VIII.1970 / J.H. & M.Lourens [printed except 8.VIII which is handwritten]; (2) KR’s determination label. On board a steam ship : 1 female labelled (1) H. ENGEL leg. / a.b.S.S. “Windhoek” / Golf v. Guinee / 24.viii.1938 [handwritten except first line which is printed [second line interpretation: an bord S.S. “ Windhoek ”, thus on board a steam ship]; (2) KR’s determination label.