Curtonotum boeny Tsacas, 1974

Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2011, A revision of Afrotropical Quasimodo flies (Diptera: Schizophora; Curtonotidae). Part III - the Malagasy species of Curtonotum Macquart, with descriptions of six new species, African Invertebrates 52 (2), pp. 391-391 : 403-406

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5733/afin.052.0212
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FDA115-FFDE-B35C-EBDC-9E03FE98FBB9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Curtonotum boeny Tsacas, 1974
status

Treatment

Curtonotum boeny Tsacas, 1974 View in CoL

Figs 10 View Figs 9–13 , 23 View Figs 14–26 , 36 View Figs 27–39 , 46, 49, 52 View Figs 46–54 , 88 View Figs 79–91 , 101 View Figs 97–101

Curtonotum boeny: Tsacas 1974: 712 View in CoL ; figs 5a–9 (p. 713), fig. 8c (p. 718). Type locality: “ Madagascar:

Ambato-Boeny”.

Differential diagnosis: This species is closely related to C. griveaudi sp. n., differing in the colour of the frons and antennae, the shape of the wing and the shape of the male terminalia. Both share the peculiar subtriangular form of the epandrium with the lateral setation reduced to two long and strong setae originating from the blunt point formed by the ventral margin. Curtonotum boeny differs from C. griveaudi sp. n., however, in having the hypandrial arm narrowed apically, the surstylus shorter and wider basally, the presence and position of the conspicuous internal bulge on the phallus and the apical shape of the basiphallus, with the more pronounced fingerlike medial projection. The ranges of the two species overlap, but it is not known whether they occur sympatrically.

Redescription:

Male (primarily based on fieldpinned HT).

As redescribed for C. balachowskyi , differing in the following respects: Measurements: Overall length 3.2–4.5 mm (n = 6, N-T); length of head and thorax combined 2.1 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 1.95 mm; wing length 3.2 mm (HT).

Head ( Figs 10 View Figs 9–13 , 23 View Figs 14–26 ). Eye prominent, eye height/length ratio: 9:5 (HT); frons ( Fig. 23 View Figs 14–26 ), slightly wider than long, frons length/width ratio: 50:55 (HT), markedly wider at vertex than at ventral margin; arista with 8 long dorsal branches and 3 ventral branches in addition to terminal fork; face with narrow silver fascia (adjacent to eye margin); 1 pair of weak vibrissae inserted on posterior lateral margin and 10 much finer setae bordering genal groove; occiput grey pruinose throughout; gena narrow, eye height/ genal height ratio: 9:1 (HT), silver pruinose, slightly dirty yellow beyond basal angle; palpus brown.

Thorax ( Fig. 10 View Figs 9–13 ). Mesonotum with two narrow, weaklydefined, parallel, medial chestnut-brown pruinose vittae on dorsal surface, extending from anterior margin to region of anterior dorsocentral seta socket; anterior dorsocentral seta much shorter and finer than medial scutellar seta; reclinate supra-alar seta, slightly shorter than posterior dorsocentral seta; thoracic pleurae silver-grey, yellow pruinose in their centres; postpronotum silvergrey pruinose, with 8–10 fine blackbrown setulae; anepisternum silvergrey pruinose, with yellow pruinose patches medially, with 19–20 fine setulae, the 5 larger grouped together at posterodorsal margin; katepisternum with dorsal katepisternal seta ca 0.3 length of ventral katepisternal seta, with 18 short, fine setulae at base and along posterior margin.

Scutellum. As in mesonotum; two pairs of strong scutellar setae, 1 weak basal scutellar setula and 1 weak intermediate scutellar setula, the latter inserted equidistant between lateral and medial scutellar setae.

Legs. Fore coxa with 8–10 brown setulae on anterior surface; hind coxa with lateral black seta; fore tibia with ctenidium of 8 short spinules.

Wing (as in Fig. 36 View Figs 27–39 ). Veins brown, membrane hyaline with very faint brown infuscation, slightly darker in region of dm–cu crossvein; dm–cu crossvein obliquely angled.

Abdomen. Tergite 1 simple, devoid of maculae; tergite 2 with oblique, subovoid brown-black pruinose dorsolateral macula on either side only; tergites 3–5 with large broad, V-shaped concolourous median fascia and large concolourous T-shaped dorsolateral maculae, these close to, but not fully merging with, median fascia; lateral margin of tergites 2–5 with subelliptical concolourous macula in basal half; sternite 4 quadrate, weakly sclerotised; sternite 5 slightly longer than sternite 4, lateral margins rounded, with oblong brown macula on either side, both unmodified, with sparse brown setulae arranged in irregular rows, those along apical margins of sternite 5 slightly longer and stronger; sternite 6 ( Fig. 88 View Figs 79–91 ) subquadrate (may appear narrower than Fig. 88 View Figs 79–91 in undissected specimens), slightly expanded medially, with moderately deep, subtriangular excision apically, brown in apical 0.8, clothed in closely-packed, long, curved, overlapping brown setulae in apical 0.8.

Terminalia ( Figs 46, 49, 52 View Figs 46–54 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 , hy) rather flattened and long, with broad-based, rounded-truncate dorsobasal lobe, posterior bridge dorsally and ventrally produced (subtriangular in profile); hypandrial arms of even width (viewed laterally), with 2 setulae proximal to postgonite, the more lateral ventrally directed, the medial ventromedially directed (obscured by epandrium on Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 ), sclerotised area of medial lobes (viewed dorsally), with slightly rounded margins, not overlapping (not convex); postgonite ( Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 , pg) long, thin and straight; epandrium ( Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 , ep) subtriangular (in lateral view), with deep, oblique excavation along ventral margin, ventral lobe forming a blunt point from which two very strong, long setae originate; cercus ( Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 , ce) not prominent, longest setae as long as medium setae on dorsal margin of epandrium; surstylus ( Fig. 46 View Figs 46–54 , ss) long, widest basally, slightly curved in apical ⅔; phallus (as in Figs 49 View Figs 46–54 , ph, bp, dp; 52, bp, dp) C-shaped, moderately sclerotised, brown;

phallapodeme ( Fig. 49 View Figs 46–54 , ph) fused to basiphallus, subtriangular (viewed laterally), with basal margin developed into two flat, broad, subtriangular projections in basal 0.4, bifurcated at point of connection with hypandrium; ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 49 View Figs 46–54 , ea) free, duct inserted at junction of phallapodeme and basiphallus; basiphallus ( Fig. 49 View Figs 46–54 , bp) broader in basal half, slightly narrowed in apical half, with large, conspicuous internal bulge at point of first bend in basal fifth; apical section ( Fig. 52 View Figs 46–54 , bp) moderately broad, right lateral margin with raised keel, projecting medially as long, fingerlike projection; distiphallus ( Figs 49, 52 View Figs 46–54 , dp) long, with slight curve at midlength, very narrow (viewed laterally and dorsally).

Variation: The frons appears slightly darker in ex-alcohol specimens.

Holotype (examined): ♂ MADAGASCAR: “ MADAGASCAR Maj. / AmbatoBoeni / 23.VI.[19] 58 F. KEISER [pink paper] // HOLOTYPE [red card] // CURTONOTUM / boeny n.sp. / Holotype ♂ / L. TSACAS DET. 1973 [printed & handwritten] // MUSÉUM PARIS // Curtonotum / boeny ♂ / Tsacas, 1974 / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs vidit 2008” ( MNHN). In excellent condition; pinned and double-mounted on card triangle; right wing detached and glued to point; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen.

Paratypes (all labelled: “ Curtonotum / boeny ♀ / Tsacas, 1974 / A.H. KirkSpriggs vidit 2008–2010”): MADAGASCAR: 1♀ same labels as holotype, except: “// ALLOTYPE [red card] // CURTONOTUM / boeny n.sp. / Allotype ♀ / L. TSACAS DET. 1973 [printed & handwritten]” [left wing detached and glued to card] ( MNHN); 2♀ same except: “// PARATYPE [red card] // CURTONOTUM / boeny n.sp. / Paratype ♀ / L. TSACAS DET. 1973 [printed & handwritten]” ( NHMB) .

Notes: Tsacas (1974: 713) cited the date of collection of the type series as “23.v.58”, but the labels actually read “23.VI.58”. He further noted that the holotype and 1 paratype were deposited in MNHN and that the allotype and 1 paratype were deposited in NHMB. In truth, the holotype and allotype are deposited in MNHN and 2 paratypes in NHMB.

Other material examined (all labelled: “ Curtonotum / boeny ♂ [or ♀] / Tsacas, 1974 / det. A.H. KirkSpriggs 2010”): MADAGASCAR: Mahajanga Prov.: 4♂ Parc National Tsingy de Memaraha, 3.4 km 93° E Bekopaka, Tombeau Vazimba , 19°08'31"S: 44°49'41"E, 50 m, 6–10 xi.2001, leg. [B.] Fisher, [C.] Griswold et al., tropical dry forest, Malaise trap ( MAD49 ), BLF4233 ( CAS) GoogleMaps .

Distribution ( Fig. 101 View Figs 97–101 ): Occurring in the Wooded Grassland-Bushland and Western Dry Forest vegetation types, in the Dry Deciduous Forest biome. In the North West and West biogeographical zones and Dry bioclimatic zone ( Figs 105–107 View Figs 105–107 ; Tables 1–3; Appendix II).