Atherigona zulu, Muller, 2015

Muller, B. S., 2015, Illustrated key and systematics of male South African Atherigona s. str. (Diptera: Muscidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 845-845 : 905-906

Atherigona zulu sp. n.

Fig. 68

Etymology: Named for the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Diagnosis: This species keys to A. secrecauda in Deeming (1971) and Dike (1989 a), but differs from it by having the hypopygial prominence weakly bifurcate as opposed to being bilobate and appearing as two fused triangles in dorsal view. The trifoliate process of A. zulu is also missing the winglike hood of A. secrecauda , as well as being more less abruptly dilated apically compared so A. secrecauda ( Fig. 68b vs. Fig. 50b ). Description:

Male.

Measurement s: Body length: 4.216 mm; wing: 3.312 mm; r­m crossvein ratio: 0.413. Head: Ground colour brown. All head setae and setulae infuscated. Occiput grey dusted throughout with narrow median part glossy, laterally silver-grey dusted. Ocellar triangle grey dusted. Frontal vitta infuscated. Frontal plate grey dusted on basal third, gold dusted on apical two thirds with three pairs of proclinate frontal setae and two pairs of orbital setae. Parafacial gold dusted, as wide as aristal base at narrowest. Scape and pedicel ferruginous, postpedicel infuscated except for basal area. Arista infuscated. Palpus yellow, apex truncated and dilated with hyaline hairs.

Thorax: Ground colour dark. Postpronotal lobe gold dusted, with three setae and 13 setulae. Pleura entirely silver-grey dusted, except for bottom of katepisternum which is grey dusted; Proepisternum inconspicuous and gold dusted. Scutum grey dusted throughout, with three faint 2-4dorsocentral vittae,stopping before scutellum.Scutellum grey dusted; one pair of basal setae, one pair of discal setae and ten discal setulae, one pair of subbasal setae and one pair of apical setae (subbasal and apical setae equal). Legs: All legs yellow except for apical quarter of fore tibia and fore tarsi which are infuscated.

Leg chaetotaxy: Fore femur with one submedial posteroventral seta; dorsal surfaces of fore tarsi, except for basitarsus, with long setulae (at least as long as width of segments). Wings: Hyaline. Veins light brown. Knob of halteres white with stalk yellow. Calypters white.

Abdomen: All tergites yellow; tergite 1+2 immaculate; tergite 3 with a pair oblong dark markings taking up two thirds of dorsal surface; tergites 4 with a pair of small brown oblong markings taking up a third of dorsal surface; tergite 5 immaculate. Hypopygial prominence bilobed. Trifoliate process stem 2× the length of the apical process; trifoliate process entirely infuscated except for stem and hood which are brown; median piece with strong apical dilation and bifurcated in posterior view, with slight apical dilation in profile with an overall slightly curved appearance; lateral plates with inner lobes, appearing wider than median piece in profile, but not in posterior view. Surstylus with slight infuscation at base and apex.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA : KwaZulu­Natal: Richards Bay , 28°46'S 32°04'E, 24.x.1994, R. Danielsson ( MZLU).

Distribution: South Africa.

Figures

Figs 64–68. Atherigona spp.: trifoliate process and hypopygial prominence of (64) A. matilei Deeming; (65) A. gilvifolia van Emden; (66) A. trapezia van Emden; (67) A.valida (Adams); (68) A.zulu sp. n. Not to scale.

Figs 46–54. Atherigona spp.: trifoliate process and hypopygial prominence of (46) A. chrysohypene sp. n.; (47) A. tritici Pont & Deeming; (48) A. londti sp. n.; (49) A. hyalinipennis van Emden; (50) A. secrecauda Séguy; (51) A. lineata lineata (Adams); (52) A. lineata torrida Deeming; (53) A. lineata ugandae van Emden; (54) A. soccata Rondani. Not to scale.