Phytomia poensis (Bezzi)

Meyer, Marc De, Goergen, Georg & Jordaens, Kurt, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical Phytomia Guérin-Méneville (Diptera: Syrphidae), Zootaxa 4803 (2), pp. 201-250 : 241-242

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4803.2.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0C0F5754-9530-4072-AF45-BDFE4A8A2B57

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F94D2C-FF9F-FFDE-0EAD-31A9FE13F9B9

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Phytomia poensis (Bezzi)
status

 

Phytomia poensis (Bezzi) View in CoL

( Figs 19 View FIGURES 11–20 , 26, 28 View FIGURES 21–28 , 36 View FIGURES 29–36 , 60 View FIGURES 49–60 , 83–84 View FIGURES 73–84 , 100 View FIGURES 85–100 )

Megaspis poensis Bezzi, 1912: 427 View in CoL

Material examined. SYNTYPES: 3♀, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Moka, Fernando Po [=Bioko Island], February 1902, L. Fea ( MCSNG) . One specimen, bearing an additional printed label ‘ Typus’ and a handwritten label by Bezzi ‘ Megaspis poensis n.sp. ’ is hereby designated as lectotype and labelled accordingly . Other material: CAMEROON, 2♀, SW Mt Kupé , 19–22.V.2008, B.D. Gill ( CNC) . CONGO (DR), Beni , 1♂, February 1931; 1♀, 17.XI.1931, all L. Lebrun ( KMMA) ; 1♀, Bitshumbi, S L Edouard, Parc National Albert , 15.IV.1936, L. Lippens ( KMMA) ; 1♀, Far- adje, Uele , November 1912, Lang & Chapin ( KMMA) ; 1♀, Kapanga, Lulua , November 1918, Walker ( KMMA) ; 1♂, Manyema, R. Mayné ( KMMA) . UGANDA: 1♂, N Ankole , 21.I.1975, P. Mugambi ( CNC) ; 1♂, Budongo For- est, Lake Albert , April 1972, E.B. Babyetagara ( CNC) ; 1♀, Ibanda, 23–28.XII.1972, H. Falke ( CNC) ; 1♂, East Toro , 29.I.1912, J. Fraser ( BMNH) .

Body size. Body length (n=10): 10.6–14.6 mm. Wing length (n=10): 9.2–11.1 mm.

Redescription. MALE ( Fig. 19 View FIGURES 11–20 ). Head ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 21–28 ). Eye bare; holoptic, touching for distance slightly longer than length of ocellar triangle, facets subequal, only moderately enlarged in dorsal half. Frons brown to black; with greyish brown pollinosity, along eye margin more brownish; dispersed pilosity of short to medium long pale pile interspersed with few dark pile; rugose area shining brown, occupying about one-third of entire width and at about half of height of frons; with shorter dispersed pale pile. Face ground colour black; mainly weakly shining with sparse greyish brown pollinosity, below antennae more densely greyish pollinose; pilosity of short pale pile; strongly concave with facial tubercle rounded, strongly pronounced. Gena black, brownish pollinose narrowly along eye margin; with long pale pilosity. Occiput dorsal third black, with greyish pollinosity; ventrally more silvery to brown, with dispersed pale pile. Antennal segments black to black-brown; arista yellow-brown, in basal half with short pile equal to about one-third of pedicel.

Thorax. Scutum ground colour black; with dispersed greyish brown to brown pollinosity; covered with dense pile of short pale brownish pile interspersed with few darker pile, along lateral margin more whitish pile. Scutellum ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ) as scutum except more orange-brown, at least along posterior margin. Pleural sclerites ground colour black, with greyish pollinosity. Covered (except meron, anterior part of katepisternum, and anterior anepisternum) with long whitish or pale yellowish pile.

Legs. Black-brown to orange-brown, tarsal segments more orange. Fore leg, femur with short pale pilosity, anteriorly and posteriorly longer, and mixed with darker pile to variable extent, rarely predominantly black; tibia pale in basal half, apically black-brown, with short pale pilosity except in apical darker part where black pile. Mid leg, as fore leg except pilosity on femur and tibia entirely pale. Hind leg, femur more orange-brown; medium long pale pilosity except ventrally in apical fourth to fifth where black; tibia with basal third pale dorsally, otherwise orangebrown to dark brown; black pilosity except dorsally in basal part where pale.

Wing. Largely hyaline (as in P. melas , cf. Fig. 58 View FIGURES 49–60 ), no microtrichia. At most fumose along anterior margin and surrounding venation. Calypters yellow brown; with fringe of pale pile.

Abdomen ( Figs 83–84 View FIGURES 73–84 ). Mainly black-brown, tergum 2 yellow-brown to orange-brown along anterior threefourths except for isolated brown rectangular transverse macula in medial part; tergum 3 yellow-brown to orangebrown along anterior margin for at most one-fourth of entire depth, sometimes interrupted medially; tergum 4 weakly shining black-brown, sometimes with narrow orange-brown fascia along anterior margin. Terga covered with dispersed short pale pile except posterior part of tergum 4 where some darker pile, along lateral margins with longer pale pilosity. No bullae. Sterna brown to black-brown; with widely dispersed long pale pile. Male genitalia as in Fig. 100 View FIGURES 85–100 .

FEMALE. As male except for the following character states. Eye, facets of equal size ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 21–28 ); dichoptic. Frons black ground colour; with greyish brown pollinosity, except in dorsal third where dark brown; covered with short intermixed pale and dark pile, in dorsal part more dark pile; rugose area shining brown to yellow-brown, occupying less than one-third width and equal in height to at most twice the ocellar triangle. Face with orange-brown patches. Wing ( Fig. 60 View FIGURES 49–60 ), fumose area sometimes more extensive. Extension and coloration of orange-brown markings variable, sometimes terga 2 and 3 completely black-brown.

Distribution. Cameroon, Congo (DR), Equatorial Guinea, Uganda.

Comments. Phytomia poensis in most aspects corresponds largely with P. melas . It shows the same transitional characters between Phytomia and Simoides (see Discussion) and the few specimens from which DNA could be extracted (+ 40yrs old) and a DNA barcode sequenced, are grouped together with recent specimens of P. melas . Together they form a cluster related to Simoides species. Specimens of P. poensis also display the large variability in abdominal coloration as observed in P. melas . The main differences between both species is the length of the pilosity on frons, and thorax as outlined in the identification and shown in Figs 18-19 View FIGURES 11–20 , and 35-36. While there is some overlap in geographic distribution between P. melas and P. poensis , it is remarkable that P. melas is predominantly found at higher elevation sites, while P. poensis shows a more varied range including several low altitude sites. DNA barcoding shows that the 3.5 % mean interspecific p-distance is within the range of interspecific p-distances in Afrotropical Phytomia , and much higher than the mean intraspecific p-distances of 0.2 % and 0.6 % for P. poensis and P. melas , respectively.

CNC

Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes

KMMA

Koninklijk Museum voor Midden Afrika

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Syrphidae

Genus

Phytomia

Loc

Phytomia poensis (Bezzi)

Meyer, Marc De, Goergen, Georg & Jordaens, Kurt 2020
2020
Loc

Megaspis poensis Bezzi, 1912: 427

Bezzi, M. 1912: 427
1912
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