Pachycerina pellocera, Davies & Miller, 2009

Davies, Gregory B. P. & Miller, Raymond M., 2009, Revision of Afrotropical Pachycerina Macquart (Diptera: Lauxaniidae), African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 295-295 : 314-315

Pachycerina pellocera sp. n.

Figs 18 , 33 , 43

Etymology: From the Greek pellos (dusky or dark-coloured) and keras (horn), in reference to the infuscated postpedicel.

Diagnosis: The darkened postpedicel and absence of T6 spots despite the yellow-brown abdomen are distinctive. Front legs are not as dark as in other Malagasy Pachycerina species. The male S5 is also distinctive with a long medial spur. Aristal setulae are less dense than in other Afrotropical species.

Description:

Head: Fronto-orbital plates not darkened. Ocellar spot large and black. Prefrontal spots large and black, touching sides of prefrons. Scape, pedicel and especially postpedicel deeply infuscated. Aristal plumosity rather sparse.

Thorax: Scutum striping patterning diffuse, notum largely brown-orange, except for yellow anterior of scutum and also postalar bristles and transverse suture. Scutellum yellow-orange. Upper lateral vitta present. Entire sternopleuron infuscated dark brown by expanded lower lateral vitta; meropleuron largely dark brown. Profemur orange-yellow, slightly darker protibia (with yellow rings proximally and distally). Protarsus orange-brown, somewhat darker distally. Other legs yellow-orange. Wing faintly infuscated, especially stigma and costal and marginal cells. Haltere yellow-orange.

Abdomen: Yellow (may be discoloured to blackish in some specimens).

Male terminalia ( Figs 18 , 33 , 43 ): S5 with short posterior processes and large, extended medial spur exceeding posterior processes in length. T6 spots absent. Surstyli about as long as epandrium. Gonopods asymmetric, right gonopod longer than left gonopod. Right gonopod narrow and sinuous. Both gonopods with small lateral spinules.

Measurements: ơ (n=1), ^(n=3): head length – ơ 0.7, ^0.7; thorax length (incl. scutellum) – ơ 1.8, ^1.8; abdomen length – ơ 1.8, ^1.8; wing length – ơ 3.9, ^4.1.

Holotype: ơ MADAGASCAR: Anjavidilava [22°09'S: 46°57'E], Andringitra Massif, 17–21.i.1958, B.R. Stuckenberg ( NMSA).

Other material examined: MADAGASCAR: 1ơ 5^same data as holotype ( NMSA) .

Figures

Figs 17–22. Posterior view of male terminalia: (17) Pachycerina potentilla sp. n.; (18) Pachycerina pellocera sp. n.; (19) Pachycerina atrimela sp. n.; (20) Pachycerina obscuripennis Lamb; (21) Pachycerina seychellensis Lamb; (22) Pachycerina nigrivittata sp. n.Abbreviations: pro – protandrium, epa – epandrium, sur – surstylus. Scale bar = 0.8 mm.

Figs 28–33. Dorsal view of male inner genitalia: (28) Pachycerina obscuripennis Lamb; (29) Pachycerina potentilla sp. n.; (30) Pachycerina stuckenbergi sp. n.; (31) Pachycerina atrimela sp. n.; (32) Pachycerina gabela sp. n.; (33) Pachycerina pellocera sp. n. Abbreviation: aed apo – aedeagal apodeme. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 39–48. Sternite 5 of male Pachycerina species: (39) P. vaga Adams; (40) P. nigrivittata sp. n.; (41) P. gabela sp. n.; (42) P. atrimela sp. n.; (43) P. pellocera sp. n.; (44) P. stuckenbergi sp. n.; (45) P. crinicornis (Thomson); (46) P. potentilla sp. n.; (47) P.seychellensis Lamb; (48) P. micropunctata sp. n. Abbreviation: post proc – posterior process. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.