Curtonotum tsacas Kirk-Spriggs, 2013
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3684.1.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E922034E-1247-400B-97F6-1778CF766B91 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E45152-FFC3-FFBB-A6AB-FF3356A547CC |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Curtonotum tsacas Kirk-Spriggs |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Curtonotum tsacas Kirk-Spriggs View in CoL , sp. n.
Figs 118 View FIGURES 118–123 , 142 View FIGURES 142–153 , 178 View FIGURES 172–181 , 250, 254, 258 View FIGURES 247–258 , 301 View FIGURES 295–305 , 308, 309 View FIGURES 306–321 , 328 View FIGURE 328 , 329 View FIGURE 329 .
Etymology. The specific epithet tsacas is a noun in apposition, named in honour of Léonidas Tsacas (MNHN) in recognition of his substantial contribution to our knowledge of Afrotropical Curtonotum .
Description: Male (primarily based on field-pinned HT).
As redescribed for C. campsiphallum (above), differing in the following respects:
Measurements: Overall length unknown (the ♀ measures 3.2–3.7 mm; n = 2, PT); length of head and thorax combined 1.7–2.5 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 1.7–2.4 mm; wing length 2.8–3.7 mm (n = 5, HT, PT).
Head ( Figs 118 View FIGURES 118–123 , 142 View FIGURES 142–153 ). Eye height/length ratio: 10:6 (n = 1, HT); frons ( Fig. 142 View FIGURES 142–153 ) markedly narrow, frons length/width ratio: 5:7 (n = 1, HT), ground colour pale dirty yellow-brown, markedly darker brown or pitchy (see notes on variation below), at vertex between orbital plates and ocellar triangle and between orbital plates and eye margin, medial vittae conspicuous; flagellomere 1 pitchy black apically, arista with 9–10 dorsal branches and 4 ventral branches; 11 fine setae bordering genal groove; gena narrow, eye height/genal height ratio: 10:1 (n = 1, HT), silver pruinose throughout.
Thorax ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 118–123 ). Postpronotum with 12 fine black-brown setulae; anepisternum surface with 25 fine setulae, 2 arranged in a group in posterior corner; katepisternum with 20 setulae at base and along posterior margin.
Legs. Fore coxa with 9 brown setulae on anterior surface; fore tibia with ctenidium of 9–13 black spinules.
Wing ( Fig. 178 View FIGURES 172–181 ). Membrane markedly infuscate brown or pitchy brown (see notes below on variation); dm–cu crossvein with acutely angled bend.
Abdomen. Tergite 1 simple, with oblique, subquadrate brown-black pruinose dorsolateral macula on either side only; tergite 2 with wide median fascia and oblique, subquadrate brown-black pruinose dorsolateral macula on either side; tergites 3–5 with broad, brown median fascia and well developed “T-shaped” brown lateral maculae, all merging with median fascia, lateral margin of tergites 2–5 with subtriangular maculae in basal ⅔; sternite 6 ( Fig. 301 View FIGURES 295–305 ) laterally expanded (may appear wider than Fig. 301 View FIGURES 295–305 in undissected specimens), broad basally with deep, subtriangular V-shaped apical excision, extensively darkened, especially medially, clothed in very short black irregular brown setulae.
Terminalia ( Figs 250, 254, 258 View FIGURES 247–258 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 250 View FIGURES 247–258 , hy) hypandrial arms broad basally, expanded apically (viewed laterally), sclerotised area of medial lobes (viewed dorsally), very wide medially, abutting and overlapping; postgonite (pg); epandrium (ep) as wide dorsally as ventrally (viewed laterally), dorsal margin moderately straight; cercus (ce); surstylus (ss); phallus (as in Figs 254 View FIGURES 247–258 , ph, bp, dp; 258, bp, dp); phallapodeme ( Fig. 254 View FIGURES 247–258 , ph); ejaculatory apodeme (ea); basiphallus ( Figs 254, 258 View FIGURES 247–258 , bp) relatively broad, expanded apically, with brown, heavily sclerotised semicircular baso-ventral process, with 3 large teeth-like serrations on posterior margin; distiphallus (dp) long, scimitar-like (viewed laterally), membranous area broad.
♀ Similar to ♂, except in the following respects: wing length 3.1–3.5 mm (n = 4, PT); postabdomen as illustrated in Figs 308, 309 View FIGURES 306–321 .
Variation. Freshly collected specimens from Kosi Bay have the markings on the frons darker than the HT and the wing is also more darkly infuscate. The male terminalia are identical however. There is some variation in the number and size of teeth-like serrations on the posterior margin of the baso-ventral process of the phallus, other characters are consistent, however, and this is regarded as intraspecific variation only.
Differential diagnosis. Curtonotum tsacas sp. n. is probably most closely-related to a group of three species having the basiphallus relatively broad and expanded apically and the membranous area of the distiphallus broad ( C. sao , C. hay sp. n. and C. campsiphallum ). It is most closely related to the last two named species, both of which share the short plate-like baso-ventral process with a series of teeth-like serrations on the posterior margin. They are separable by use of the above key.
Type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: holotype ♂, “ SOUTH AFRICA: KZ-Natal / Enseleni Nature Reserve / 28°41'S, 32°03'E masl / Date: 26/07/1980 / Coll. R. Miller // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / tsacas sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 [printed; red card]” (NMSA). In good condition; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen. Paratypes (all labelled: “ PARATYPE ♂ [or ♀] / Curtonotum / tsacas sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 [printed; blue card]”): ETHIOPIA: 1♂, “ETHOPIA: GAMO / GOFA, Arba Minch / Springs, 1300m / 5.ii.2000.I.YAROM / & A. FREIDBERG” (TAU). KENYA: 1♂, “ KENYA (N.W.) / Kainuk, on / Morun
River / 25.XI.1989 / A . FREIDBERG / & FINI KAPLAN” ( TAU). [ MOZAMBIQUE]: 1♀, “Port. East Africa. / Amatongas Forest. / Near Gondola. / 4.II.1959 / A. C. van Bruggen. ” [head missing] ( PPRI). SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂, “DUKUDUKU BETWEEN / ST LUCIA & MATUBATUBA / ZULULAND, S. AFRICA / B. & P. STUCKENBERG / 7-8 APRIL 1960 // CURTONOTUM / n. sp.? aff. cam / psiphallus n.sp. / L. TSACAS DET. 1976 [printed & handwritten]” [head missing] ( NMSA); 2♂, 4♀, “RSA: KwaZulu-Natal, Kosi / Bay Nat. Res., picnic area / 26°57'52"S, 32°48'51"E / 15.xii.2010, 6 m / A. H. Kirk-Spriggs // Sweeping / dune forest & / woodland” [2♂ labelled “// BMSA (DNA)#0064” and “// BMSA (DNA)#0065”; labelled “// BMSA (D)29847– 29850; BMSA (D)30210–30211”] ( BMSA) GoogleMaps .
Distribution. Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa ( Figs 328 View FIGURE 328 , 329 View FIGURE 329 ). Exhibits a typical Rift Valley distribution pattern (see below).
Bionomics. Occurring in 5 major habitat types; predominantly in Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests, with records from Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands and Mangroves (Appendix III). In South Africa the species occurs in closed-canopy coastal dune forest and woodland and appear to shelter in natural hollows in the forest floor during daylight hours .
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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