Stylogaster stuckenbergi, Stuke, 2012

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2012, A revision of Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key, African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 267-267 : 347-350

Stylogaster stuckenbergi sp. n.

Figs 285–296

Etymology: The species is named in honour of the late Brian Roy Stuckenberg (1930– 2009), who published one of the most important papers dealing with Afrotropical Stylogaster and loaned specimens cited in this paper.

Diagnosis: Stylogaster stuckenbergi sp. n. can be recognised by the orange-brown abdomen and thorax ( Fig. 287 ), and by the entirely black frons with a broad ocellar triangle

( Fig. 289 ). Concerning females sharing these characters, there is at least one undescribed species similar to S. stuckenbergi . The male terminalia ( Figs 290–296 ) should be taken into account when identifying the species.

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 8.5 mm.

Head: 1.8 mm high. Eye dark brown, with a few scattered, inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli yellow­brown. Ocellar tubercle blackish brown, with 1 pair of inconspicuous ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies virtually entire frons, reaching as far as antennae ( Fig. 289 ). Ocellar triangle black. Frons black lateral to ocellar triangle, with 4 fronto-orbital setae. Scapus yellow-brown, pedicellus yellow­brown basally, pale brown distally, basal flagellomere pale brown. Arista dark brown, black at apex, 3 segments evident. Arista situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 288 ). Scapus dorsally with few pale brown setulae. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 288 . One distinct golden vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput black to brown, distinctly silver pruinose; dorsally with row of regularly-arranged small white setulae, ventrally with several longer white setulae. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis uniformly pale brown. Labrum ca 3.4 mm, labellum approximately same length.

Thorax: Yellow-brown. Setae black and golden. Two golden notopleural setae (1 on right side of mesoscutum black), 1 supra-alar seta damaged, 2 black postalar setae, 1 black praescutellar dorsocentral seta, 1 black apical scutellar seta, 1 black seta on anepimeron and 1 golden seta above fore coxa on propleuron. Golden, semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 6.4 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, but base of c, base of r 2+3, most of br, bm, base of dm, cup and base of anal lobe virtually without microtrichia. Hind margin of wing with black setulae. Venation as in Fig. 286 . Haltere uniformly yellow-brown, with areas of sensillae at base.

Legs: Fore and mid legs whitish yellow, hind leg brown with subapical white area on hind tibia and conspicuous black hind tarsi. Fore and mid legs with white setae and setulae, hind leg with black, golden and white setae and setulae. Fore and mid coxae without distinct setae, but with strong golden setulae distally. Hind coxa with strong golden setulae distally on anterior surface, and smaller golden setulae laterally. Hind trochanter without teeth or conspicuous setulae. Mid femur with a row of regularly-arranged, golden setulae posteriorly in distal half. Hind tibia with single short black spines on anterior surface. Claws brown only narrowly basally, distally black. Pulvilli brown. Empodia short, brown.

Abdomen: Uniformly orange­brown ( Fig. 287 ). Tergites with semi­adpressed black and golden setulae. Tergite 1 with long golden setulae laterally, tergite 2 on anterior margin with 3 black and 3 golden lateral setae on either side.Abdomen of holotype not dissected, but appears to match terminalia of a paratype. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 290–296 . Cercus triangular with a distinct 90° angle distally ( Fig. 293 ). Dorsal margin concave. Cercus with conspicuous lappet ventrally ( Fig. 294 ). No conspicuous teeth ventrally. No black setae. Surstylus with 1 medial black tooth at concave distal margin ( Fig. 291 ). Inner surface with barely visible keel ventrally, and few strong setulae. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 292 . Strong black basal setulae conspicuous.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR: (1) “Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Prov., / 12 km W Ranomafana Natl Pk / entrance. radio tower, malaise in / montane tropical forest. 20.III- / 3.IV.03, R H ‘Hala, M E Irwin, 1215m / 21°15.05’S. 47°24.43’E. MG 9B­56”; (2) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / stuckenbergi ♂ / des. Stuke, 2011” ( CAS) . Holotype complete, in good condition.

Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa: 1♂ same data as holotype, except 30.iv–7.v.2002 [sic!] ( CAS) ; 2♂ same, except 5–13.v.2002 [sic!] ( CAS & J­HS) ; 1♂ Belle Vue, 1.2 km S Ranomafana, Parc National Ranomafana , entrance, rainforest, 21°15.99'S 47°25.21'E, 1095 m, 26.ii–4.iii.2001, M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap ( J­HS) ; 2♂ same, except 26–31.iii.2002 ( CAS) .

Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.

Bionomics: Found in primary rainforest at moderately high elevation (1095–1215 m).

Figures

Figs 285–289. Stylogaster stuckenbergi sp. n. (♂): (285) habitus, lateral view (holotype); (286) wing (♂ paratype); (287) abdomen, dorsal view (holotype); (288) antenna, lateral view (holotype); (289) frons (holotype). Not to scale.

Figs 290–296. Terminalia (♂) of Stylogaster stuckenbergi sp. n. (paratype): (290) surstylus, lateral view; (291) same, dorsal view;(292) phallus sheath of hypandrium, lateral view; (293) cercus,lateral view; (294) teeth at ventral side of cerci, dorsal view; (295) hemispherical extension of hypandrium; (296) sperm pump and ejaculatory apodeme.Abbreviations:he – hemisphericalextension;dp – distiphallus. Not to scale.