Suragina Walker, 1859

Muller, Burgert S., Swart, Vaughn R. & Snyman, Louwrens P., 2024, Revision of Afrotropical Suragina Walker, 1859 (Diptera, Athericidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 247-327 : 247-327

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.140524
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BCB49D2E-F772-49EB-A17A-47EB21194212
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14550305
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/281E2FB8-BA0D-5F9D-B5E3-8051249F2B51
treatment provided by	African Invertebrates by Pensoft (2024-12-23 15:20:40, last updated 2024-12-24 05:26:47)
scientific name	Suragina Walker, 1859
status

Treatment

Suragina Walker, 1859 View in CoL

Suragina Walker, 1859: 110 View in CoL .

Type species.

Suragina illucens Walker, 1859 by monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Suragina is most similar to the genus Atrichops with which it shares elongated legs and the hind coxa with a stout apical point or spine-like projection on its anteroventral surface. Similarly, Atrichops is also haematophagous, with well-developed mandibles. However, Atrichops has a knoblike proepimeral process (somewhat reduced in Afrotropical species) that is absent in Suragina . Additionally, Suragina has its frons usually contrasting velvety-black on the upper half and silvery-grey on the lower half (especially evident in ♀), whereas the frons in Atrichops is more concolorous. The antennal bases are comparatively widely separated in Suragina , and close together in Atrichops . Suragina typically has a tibial spur ratio of 0: 2: 2 (1: 2: 2 in some specimens of S. binominata ( Bequaert, 1921)) , while Atrichops has a ratio of 0: 1: 2. There is also a substantial difference in the morphology of the male terminalia, with Suragina having the gonostylus inserted apically and the parameral sheath simple apically, compared to Atrichops having the gonostylus inserted subapically, sometimes even medially on the gonocoxite (e. g. Atrichops intermedius Muller, 2023 in Muller et al. 2023) and the parameral sheath ending with outward projections. Woodley (2017: 887) provided a key to the known genera of Afrotropical Athericidae .

Key to the Afrotropical species of Suragina Walker (excluding S. disciclara and S. pilitarsis )

References

Bequaert J (1921) Atherix braunsi nov. sp., a South African leptid with gregarious habits (Diptera). Psyche (Cambridge, Massachusetts) 28 (1): 1 - 7. https: // doi. org / 10.1155 / 1921 / 95269

Muller BS, Swart VR, Snyman LP (2023) Afrotropical Atrichops Verrall (Diptera, Athericidae) with description of a new species. African Invertebrates 64 (3): 303 - 322. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / afrinvertebr. 64.113133

Muller BS, Swart VR, Snyman LP (2023) Afrotropical Atrichops Verrall (Diptera, Athericidae) with description of a new species. African Invertebrates 64 (3): 303–322. https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.113133

Woodley NE (2017) 38. Athericidae (Water Snipe Flies). In: Kirk-Spriggs AH, Sinclair BJ (Eds) Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. Volume 2. Nematocerous Diptera and lower Brachycera. Suricata 5. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 885–891.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Dorsal view of thorax (1–4) and head and thorax (5–8) of Suragina Walker spp. 1 S. agramma (Bezzi) ♀ (NMSA - DIP 028177) 2 S. binominata ♀ (NMSA - DIP 158408) 3 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. ♀ (CSCA) 4 S. falsa ♀ holotype (NHMUK 014064160) 5 S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov. ♂ paratype (NMSA - DIP 162049) 6 S. malavaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (ICIPE) 7 S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158442) 8 S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158425). 4 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Not to scale.

Figures 14–17. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: S. binominata (Bequaert): 14 ♂ holotype (MLUH) 15 ♀ (BMSA (D) 124083); S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov.: 16 ♂ holotype (BMSA (D) 83426) 17 ♀ paratype (BMSA (D) 84688). 14 Copyright ZNS Halle, January 30, 2024. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 9–13. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: S. agramma (Bezzi): 9 ♂ (NMSA - DIP 028196) 10 ♀ holotype (NMSA - DIP 028199); S. bezzii (Curran): 11 ♂ (SAM-DIP-A 018382) 12 ♀ (SAM-DIP-A 018410); S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov.: 13 a ♀ paratype 1 st flagellomere (CSCA) 13 b ♀ holotype (CSCA). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 27–30. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: S. monogramma (Bezzi): 27 ♂ (NMSA - DIP 028180) 28 ♀ (NMSA - DIP 158385); S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov.: 29 ♂ holotype (NMSA - DIP 158398) 30 ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158394). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 43–48. Suragina Walker spp. wing dorsal view: 43 S. dimidiatipennis (Brunetti) ♀ holotype (NHMUK 014064158) 44 S. falsa Oldroyd ♀ (NHMUK 014064160) 45 S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (BMSA (D) 92158) 46 S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158445) 47 S. malavaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♂ (ICIPE) 48 S. milloti (Séguy) ♀ (CSCA). 43, 44 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 49–54. Suragina Walker spp. wing dorsal view: 49 S. monogramma (Bezzi) ♀ (BMSA (D) 129988) 50 S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ (BMSA (D) 92374) 51 S. nigromaculata Muller, sp. nov. ♂ holotype (NHMUK 014064156) 52 S. pauliani ♂ paratype (NMSA - DIP 028172) 53 S. semiobscura Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (ICIPE) 54 S. zombaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158451). 51 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 37–42. Suragina Walker spp. wing dorsal view: 37 S. agramma (Bezzi) ♀ (BMSA (D) 124627) 38 S. bezzii (Curran) ♂ (SAM-DIP-A 018410) 39 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (CSCA) 40 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (BMSA (D) 83423); S. binominata (Bequaert): 41 holotype ♂ (MLUH) 42 ♀ (NMSA - DIP 158446). 41 Copyright ZNS Halle, January 30, 2024. Abbreviations: br – basal radial cell; bm – basal medial cell; cua – anterior cubital cell; CuA + CuP – anterior branch of cubital vein + posterior branch of cubital vein; d – discal cell; M 1 – first branch of media; m 1 – first medial cell; M 2 – second branch of media; m 2 – second medial cell; M 3 – third branch of media; m 3 – third medial cell; R 1 – anterior branch of radius; r 1 – first radial cell; R 2 + 3 – second branch of radius; r 2 + 3 – second radial cell; R 4 – upper branch of third branch of radius; R 5 – lower branch of third branch of radius; Sc – subcostal vein; sc – subcostal cell. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 20–22. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov.: 20 ♂ holotype (NMSA - DIP 158423) 21 ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158424); S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov.: 22 ♂ holotype (NMSA - DIP 158443). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 31–33. Suragina Walker spp. dorsal habitus: 31 S. nigromaculata ♂ holotype (NHMUK 014064156); lateral habitus, S. pauliani Stuckenberg: 32 ♂ paratype (NMSA - DIP 28172) 33 ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 028174). 31 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 34–36. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: 34 S. semiobscura Muller, sp. nov. ♀ holotype (SAM-DIP-A 018385); S. zombaensis Muller, sp. nov.: 35 ♂ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158421) 36 ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158415). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 18, 19. Suragina Walker spp. dorsal habitus: S. dimidiatipennis (Brunetti): 18 ♀ holotype (NHMUK 014064158); S. falsa Oldroyd: 19 ♀ holotype (NHMUK 014064160). 18, 19 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Scale bars: 1 mm.