Rossimyiops austrinus Cerretti

Cerretti, Pierfilippo, Biase, Alessio De & Freidberg, Amnon, 2009, Systematic study of the genus Rossimyiops Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 1984, pp. 31-56 : 40-41

Rossimyiops austrinus Cerretti sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–16 )

Type material examined. Holotype Ψ: Namibia: KARIBIB DISTRICT / Tsaobismund 85 at: [sic!] / 22°22'40''S 15°44'58''E / 13-15.iv.2001 / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais / Malaise traps [ NMNW]. Paratype Ψ: Namibia: Brandberg, Sonusib Ravine, 1435m, 21°04.546'S 14°36.958'E, 02.xii.2000, E. Marais & W. Mey, Malaise trap [ NMNW] [specimen dissected to examine genital apparatus, eggs and larvae].

Etymology. From the Latin austrinus (meaning southern) and should be treated as a Latin adjective.

Diagnosis. Female. Ventral facial margin well visible in lateral view anterior to vibrissal angle ( Figs. 11, 15 -a). Vertex about half as wide as compound eye in dorsal view ( Fig. 13 ). Fronto-orbital plate with dark vitta on medial margin, between row of proclinate orbital setae and setulae, and frontal vitta ( Fig. 12 ). Gena in profile about 0.3 times as high as compound eye. Postpedicel 2.0–2.5 times as long as pedicel. Parafacial at its narrowest point 0.7–0.8 times as wide as postpedicel. Tegula red or yellow. Basicosta yellow. Vein R4+5 entirely bare. Cell r4+5 with a long petiole, 0.38–0.53 times as long as post-angular portion of M ( Fig. 16 ). Calypteres white. Halter blackish-brown. Mid tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta. Abdomen shiny black. Male: unknown.

Description. Female. Body length: 2.85 (holotype) – 4.10 mm.

Colour. Head black, covered with dense grey microtrichia; fronto-orbital plate with dark vitta on medial margin, between row of proclinate orbital setae and setulae, and frontal vitta ( Fig. 12 ). Frontal vitta reddishbrown. Scape and pedicel varied from yellowish-red to brown. Postpedicel mainly black, more or less yellow basally; palpus yellow, at most basally brown. Thorax and legs entirely black; scutum with grey reflecting microtrichia, presutural area with three longitudinal dark vittae. Ventral and dorsal calypteres white. Wing slightly smoky anteromedially with milky posterior rim. Tegula and basicosta red or yellow. Halter black. Abdomen shiny black without microtrichia.

Head ( Figs. 11–15 ). Arista thickened on basal third. First and second aristomeres as long as wide. Postpedicel about 2.0–2.5 times as long as pedicel. Vertex at its narrowest point 0.51–0.52 times as wide as compound eye in dorsal view. Ocellar seta well developed, proclinate. Ocelli in form of isosceles triangle (distance of posterior ocelli from one another is smaller than distance between posterior and anterior ocelli). Medial vertical seta strong, reclinate, sub-parallel. One dorsal orbital seta; 1–3 proclinate orbital setae and several proclinate setulae in line. Six to 9 frontal setae descending anteroventrally to level of base of scape or slightly more ventrally. Parafacial in lateral view at its narrowest point about 0.5–0.6 times as wide as postpedicel. Face not visible in lateral view. Ventral facial margin well visible in lateral view, anterior to vibrissal angle. Vibrissa more or less developed, arising above level of ventral facial margin. Facial ridge with decumbent setulae on ventral 0.25–0.33. Gena in profile about 0.33 times as high as compound eye. Postocular setae short. Occiput flat or slightly convex, without white hair-like setulae. Prementum about 4–5 times as long as wide. Palpus 0.8–0.9 times as long as postpedicel.

Thorax. Postpronotum with 2 setae. Scutum with 2 + 2–3 acrostichal, 2–3 + 3–4 dorsocentral, 0–1 + 2–3 intra-alar, 1 posthumeral, 1 presutural, 2 notopleural and 2 postsutural supra-alar setae; postalar callus with 2 setae. Anatergite bare (holotype) or with a small patch of short, black, erect setulae. Katepisternum with 2 setae. One short anepimeral seta, about 0.5–0.7 times as long as katepisternal setae. Scutellum with 2 pairs of marginal setae (basal and apical) of about equal length; apical pair crossed and horizontal.

Legs. Fore tibia without posterior setae; preapical anterodorsal seta of fore tibia slightly shorter than preapical dorsal seta; fore claws shorter than tarsomere 5. Mid tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta, 1 posterior seta, 1 ventral seta. Posterior margin of hind coxa bare; hind tibia with an irregular row of 4–6 anterodorsal setae.

Cell ( Fig. 16 ). Base of R4+5 bare. Bend of M nearly at a right angle or slightly obtuse. Crossvein dm-cu not oblique (nearly at a right angle). Wing cell r4+5 long petiolate, petiole 0.38–0.53 times as long as post-angular portion of M.

Abdomen. Tergites slightly fused medially. Syntergite 1+2 without discal and marginal setae. Tergite 3 with 1 pair of median marginal setae. Tergite 4 with 2 erect median marginal and 2–4 decumbent lateromedian and lateral setae. Tergite 5 with a row of 5–6 marginal setae. “Marginal” setae of abdomen displaced anteriorly to discal or sub-discal position.

Hosts. Unknown.

Distribution. Namibia ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Known distribution of Rossimyiops spp.

FIGURES 11 – 16. Rossimyiops austrinus sp. nov. (holotype female). 11. Head in left lateral view. 12. Head in anterodorsal view. 13. Head in dorsal view. 14. Detail of antenna and parafacial in left lateral view, scale bar: 0.2 mm; a- width of postpedicel, b- width of parafacial at its narrowest point. 15. Detail of ventral half of head in left lateral view, scale bar: 0.4 mm; a- protruded ventral facial margin, b- distal width of pedicel. 16. Left wing in ventral view.