Atherigona (s. str.) laevigata ( Loew, 1852 )

Deeming, John C., 2022, Some Afrotropical species of Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae) revisited and a new species described, European Journal of Taxonomy 847 (1), pp. 121-144 : 127-129

Atherigona (s. str.) laevigata ( Loew, 1852)

Coenosia laevigata Loew, 1852: 660 .

Atherigona scutellaris Stein in Becker, 1903: 110. Egypt.

Atherigona laeta – authors nec Wiedemann (misidentifications). Described as a species of Coenosia from Mozambique ( Loew 1852: 660), this species ranges from Cape Province to Egypt and Yemen and from Nigeria to the Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar. The holotype female is amongst the material recently discovered in the Smithsonian Institution. It is in poor condition, lacking both wings and having only one mid and one hind leg complete. Nevertheless, the frontal vitta can be seen to be yellow on anterior half, becoming abruptly black, and the palpus yellow. These characters, along with the tergal markings, leave one in no doubt that the concept of authors of this species is correct. The specimen is mounted on a ‘continental’ (39 mm long) pin and bears the following labels:

1) blue long rectangular “Inhamb. Pet.” in a copperplate hand.

2) red rectangular “ Type ” machine-printed.

3) as (1) above “ laevigata Loew ”.

4) grey rectangular “ Atherigona laevigata Lw. ” in Stein’s handwriting.

This specimen is accompanied by a ♂ micropinned on pith on a black ‘continental’ pin and bearing the following labels, all of which are white rectangular:

1) “Africa or., Katona 904” machine-printed.

2) “Mto-ja-Kifaru” machine-printed.

3) “ Atherigona laeta (Wied.) ♂ det. Stein” [a misidentification, laeta being an oriental species with a superficial resemblance to laevigata ].

4) “ Atherigona laevigata Lw. det. J.R. Malloch”.

This specimen undoubtedly originates from the Hungarian National Museum, where the East African collection of K. Katona is deposited ( Horn & Kahle 1935: 131).

Material examined

CYPRUS • 1 ♀; Kyrenia, SE of New Harbour; 550 m a.s.l.; 23 Oct. 1995; C.E. Dyte leg.; plants near stream; NMWC .

ISRAEL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jordan Valley , N of Tiberias; 27 Apr. 1984; K.A. Spencer leg.; det. A.C. Pont; NMWC .

KENYA • 2 ♂♂; Rift Valley , Ol Arabe Gorge; 18 Nov. 1988; R.K. Butlin leg.; NMWC • 5 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Kasarani ; 10–11 Aug. 1989; J.W. Ismay leg.; swept, savannah; NMWC • 1 ♂; Limuru P.O.; 12 Apr. 1983; K.A. Spencer leg.; NMWC .

MAURITIUS • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; 1–2 km S of Wolmar; 21 May 2000; coast roadside; J.W. Ismay leg.; NMWC .

NAMIBIA • 2 ♂♂; Noachabeb , 27 miles NNE of Grunau; 10–12 Jan. 1972; BMSAE expedition; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Skeleton Coast, Kunene Mouth ; 17°16ʹ S, 11°47ʹ E; 20–22 Apr. 1994; E. Marais leg.; NMNW • 2 ♀♀; Rundu Distr., Rundu, Kavango Lodge ; 17°54ʹ43ʺ S, 19°45ʹ33ʺ E; 27–29 Mar. 2003; A.H. Kirk-Spriggs and W. Mey leg.; light trap; NMNW • 1 ♀; Opuwa Distr., Ekuju village, Kunene River ; 17°19ʹ30ʺ S, 13°48ʹ56ʺ E; 11–12 Oct. 1999; Kirk-Spriggs leg.; Malaise trap in riverine forest; NMNW .

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 6 specs (with puparia unassociated with individual specimens); P.K. 45, “route du Nord, Ferme laitiere” [North road, dairy farm]; 28 Nov. 1985; A. Delobel leg.; reared from Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.; NMWC .

UGANDA • 2 ♀♀; Kawanda ; 30 Sep. 1962; J. Bowden leg.; NMWC . UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • 1 ♀; Al-Ajban ; 26 Mar.–4 Apr. 2006; A. van Harten leg.; Malaise trap; NMWC .

YEMEN • 1 ♂; Medina Al Shirq ; 20 Feb. 1991; A. van Harten, H. Mahdi and M. Mahyoub leg.; NMWC • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Ta’izz; 5 Jan.–2 Feb. 1998; A. van Harten and M. Mahyoub leg.; light trap; NMWC • 5 ♀♀; Ta’izz; Nov.–Dec. 1999; A. van Harten and A. Awad leg.; light trap; NMWC • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Sana’a; Jan. 1991; A. van Harten leg; NMWC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding: Mar. 1991; NMWC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; Mar. 1992; NMWC • 6 ♂♂, same collection data as for preceding; Apr. 1992; NMWC .

Remarks

Females of the Kasarani material show a tendency to large size, being 5–5.4 mm in length, as against 3 mm in males, have the scutum and tergites more extensively darkened and a more accentuated frontofacial angle, whereas the material from Yemen is diminutive, being hardly more than half the length of the largest Kasarani female, is extensively pale and has a frontofacial angle of little less than a right angle. The Kawanda females resemble those from Kasarani. It is apparent that large species of this genus tend towards a more acute frontofacial angle (see Skidmore’s 1985: 301, fig. 89g, figure of the head in profile of A. mitrata Séguy, 1955 ), and it would appear that large individuals of A. laevigata do the same. The darker colouration of the Kasarani material points to melanism associated with lower temperatures at high altitude. Extreme variation in colour pattern of Kenyan female material was figured ( Clearwater 1981: 309, figs 9, 10a–d.)

Distribution

Angola, Comoros, Cyprus, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, ‘Palestine’, Rwanda, Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.