Wiedemannia kilimanjaro, Sinclair, 2023

Sinclair, Bradley J., 2023, New Afrotropical species of Wiedemannia Zetterstedt (Diptera, Empididae, Clinocerinae), African Invertebrates 64 (2), pp. 139-147 : 139

Wiedemannia kilimanjaro sp. nov.

Recognition.

This species is distinguished by its fully developed wings, numerous slender setae scattered over the hypandrium and three inner lobes of the elongate clasping cercus.

Etymology.

This species is a noun in apposition, named after the type locality.

Description.

Male. Holotype mostly dark brown (see Remarks) (Fig. 4 ). Head: ocellar setae lost; several pairs of short posterior setulae; 3-5 upper postocular setae strong, spine-like, not overlapping eye; lower postocular setae slender, longer. Genal width one-fourth height of eye. Antenna brown; scape slightly longer than pedicel; postpedicel pointed ovate; arista-like stylus short, tip blunt, about twice as long as postpedicel.

Thorax: antepronotum with strong, long lateral seta, nearly as long as postpronotal seta. Proepisternum with several long, brown setae. Mesonotum with 5 rather weak dorsocentral setae, with several short setulae intermixed; several short acrostichal setulae, anterior to second dorsocentral seta; 1 postpronotal seta, with several short, dark setulae; 2 notopleural setae, lower seta weaker, shorter than upper; 1 presutural supra-alar seta; 1 postsutural supra-alar seta, with several setulae; 1 postalar seta; 1 pair short scutellar setae, similar to dorsocentral setae, with dark marginal and discal setulae. Laterotergite with cluster of brown setae.

Wing: length 4.6 mm; membrane infuscate, veins darker; basal costa seta not extending to humeral crossvein. Origin of veins M1 and M2 widely separated at end of cell dm, subequal to length of crossvein r-m. Vein CuA+CuP absent. Pterostigma not visible. Costal margin with short, strong erect setae beyond apex of Sc. Halter with dark knob.

Legs: uniformly covered with rows of small dark setulae, slightly longer on ventral side of fore femur; fore femur without strong preapical setae; fore coxa with 2 long erect setae; hind tibia with 4-5 erect, spine-like posterodorsal setae.

Abdomen: concolourous with thorax, covered in short setae. Tergite 8 narrow, band-like.

Terminalia (Figs 1 , 2 ): hypandrium longer than length of epandrium, with numerous long, slender setae extending onto lateral face; membrane at base of hypandrium with sclerotized strips. Epandrium subtriangular, densely covered with dark, long setae; surstylus with snout-like apex and long lateral setae. Subepandrial sclerite with pointed apex, projecting free between bases of clasping cercus. Clasping cercus L-shaped in lateral view; apex rounded; inner face without peg-like setae; subequal in length to height of epandrium; inner base expanded medially into one elongate lateral, tapered lobe and medially into forked process with stout setae on rounded lobe. Cercal plate with 4 long setae confined to upper sclerite. Phallus slightly arched; apex of shaft with pair of membranous sacs on either side; distiphallus sinuous, tapered, without swelling in middle.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

This species is known only from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (Fig. 8 ).

Type material.

Holotype ♂, labelled (Fig. 5 ): "Tanzania, Kilimandjaro/ Shira Plateau [-3.054°, 37.275°], 4000 m./ 27.-28. Dec. 1975/ N. Møller Andersen leg."; "HOLOTYPE/ Wiedemannia / Wiedemannia kilimanjaro / Sinclair" [dissected] (ZMUC).

Remarks.

Wiedemannia kilimanjaro is most closely related to W. kenyae on the basis of the elongate, narrow clasping cercus and numerous slender setae on the hypandrium and assigned to the W. aquatica group.

The holotype is dark brown, which is unusual for specimens of Wiedemannia , which usually have distinct bluish pruinescence. Some bluish pruinescence is visible at certain angles, but the brownish colouration could have resulted during the preservation process. Additional specimens of this species will certainly assist in resolving its true colouration.

Figures

Figure 8. Distribution of Wiedemannia in the Afrotropical Region.

Figures 4 - 6. Afrotropical Wiedemannia, holotypes 4 W. kilimanjaro sp. nov., habitus, lateral view 5 W. kilimanjaro sp. nov., labels 6 W. londti sp. nov., habitus, lateral view 7 W. londti sp. nov., labels. Scale bar: 1.0 mm (4); 0.75 mm (6).

Figures 1 - 3. Male terminalia of Afrotropical Wiedemannia 1 W. kilimanjaro sp. nov .. lateral view 2 W. kilimanjaro sp. nov., clasping cercus, anterior view 3 W. londti sp. nov., lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc pl - cercal plate; cl cerc - clasping cercus; epand - epandrium; hypd - hypandrium; ph - phallus; sbepand scl - subepandrial sclerite; sur - surstylus.