Suragina bezzii ( Curran, 1928 )

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

Suragina bezzii ( Curran, 1928)

Figs 11 , 12 , 38 , 57 , 56 , 60 , 76

Atrichops bezzii Curran, 1928: 172.

Suragina bezzii : Stuckenberg 1980: 312.

Atrichops varicolor Brunetti, 1929: 2. syn. nov.

Suragina varicolor : Stuckenberg 1980: 313.

Synonymy of Suragina varicolor ( Brunetti, 1929) .

Images of both the holotypes of S. bezzii and S. varicolor , as well as identified material from Uganda, Kenya and Burundi were examined and compared. There is no marked difference between the two species, apart from slight variation in colour intensity due to different preservation methods. Thus, S. varicolor is hereby designated as junior synonym of S. bezzii .

Type material examined.

[ from digital photographs] Holotype: ♀; [ Democratic Republic of Congo] • Bengamisa , Belgian Congo; [0°58.21'N, 25°12.64'E]; 29 Sep. 1914; ( AMNH). Type photos accessible at: https://emu-prod.amnh.org/imulive/iz/iz.html#details=ecatalogue.10021491 .

Other type material examined.

S. varicolor syn. nov. type [from digital photographs]: Holotype: Uganda • 1 ♀; Southern Region; Kampala; [0°18.8167'N, 32°34.8667'E]; 13 Aug. 1911; Presented by the Imperial Bureau of Entomology , British Museum 1929–48; ( NHMUK 014064157 ).

Other material examined.

Burundi • 1 ♀; Ruvubu National Park, nr. Ruvubu River ; [3°10.00'S, 30°20.00'E]; 1382 masl; 21 Feb. – 8 Mar. 2010; R. Copeland leg.; edge of forest; Malaise trap. Kenya • 1 ♀; Western Province; Kakamega Forest, nr. Rondo Guest House ; 00°13.6602'N, 34°53.1198'E; 1630 masl; 22 Oct. – 5 Nov. 2006; R. Copeland leg.; across small permanent stream; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Western Province; Kakamega Forest, nr. Rondo Guest House ; 00°13.6602'N, 34°53.1198'E; 1630 masl; 24 Sep. – 8 Oct. 2006; R. Copeland leg.; across small permanent stream; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE). Uganda • 1 ♂ 48 ♀; Kibale National Park, Kanyawara, Makerere University Biological Field Station ; 00°33.823'N, 30°21.490'E; 1505 masl; 12–26 Oct. 2008; S van Noort leg.; UG 08 - KF 3 - M 13; Malaise trap; primary mid-altitude Rainforest (♂: SAM-DIP-A 018410; ♀: SAM-DIP-A 018378, A 018379, A 018380, A 018381, A 018383, A 018384, A 018386, A 018387, A 018388, A 018389, A 018391, A 018392, A 018393, A 018394, A 018395, A 018396, A 018397, A 018398, A 018399, A 018400, A 018401, A 018402, A 018403, A 018404, A 018405, A 018406, A 018407, A 018408, A 018409, A 018411, A 018412, A 018413, A 018414, A 018416, A 018417, A 018418, A 018419, A 018420, A 018421, A 018422, A 018423, A 018424, A 018425, A 018426, A 018427, A 018428, A 018429, A 018432) .

The female material from Kibale National Park agrees entirely with that of the original type description as well as with the publically available photos of the holotype female.

Diagnosis.

Suragina bezzii has an overall dark appearance (Figs 11 , 12 ), with its entire thorax dark brown to blackish with varying levels of bluish-grey pruinosity throughout. The wings are light brown suffused with a dark brown stigma and a brown suffused substigmal marking (Fig. 38 ). The abdomen has tergite 2 with a fenestrated appearance and the tergites 4–6 orange, contrasting with the otherwise dark brown abdomen. The species is most similar to S. semiobscura Muller , sp. nov. but differs from it by having the postpronotal lobes dark brown as opposed to pale yellow. Suragina semiobscura Muller , sp. nov., most strikingly, has the upper half of the wing dark brown suffused, the lower half appearing lighter, creating a two-toned appearance (Fig. 53 ) compared to that of S. bezzii that has the wing uniformly brown suffused.

Remarks.

Curran (1928: 172) remarked that it was possible that the “ black undescribed ” specimen mentioned by Bezzi (1926: 304) is in fact S. bezzii . That is however just conjecture at this point in time as no further information is available regarding the whereabouts of the specimen mentioned by Bezzi, nor was it ever described. There are several dark species from west and central African countries. Bezzi’s comment: “ This last species, like A. disciclara Speiser, 1914 , shows a deep longitudinal median furrow on the fore part of the frons. ” is not diagnostic, as all known Afrotropical Suragina have a longitudinal median groove or “ furrow ” running up from between the antennal bases, with varying degrees of depth.

Description.

Measurements (♂ n = 1, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 7.4 mm; ♀ 8.6–9.1 mm (avg. 8.4 mm); body length: ♂ 9.3 mm; ♀ 9.0– 9.8 mm (avg. 9.5 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.80; ♀ 0.94.

Male (Fig. 11 ).

Head: Black ground colour, with bluish-grey pruinosity on majority of head; eye bare; holoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye with slight indentation; ocellar tubercle barely visible in profile, black in colour (appears to be rubbed bare in both sexes due to degradation from preservation method); vertex with slight grey pruinosity, otherwise appearing black in colour and dark setulose; anterior ocellus similar in size to posterior pair; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, not placed as deeply towards middle of head as in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye abutting ocellar tubercle; occiput with same bluish-grey pruinosity as rest of head; paired large rectangular black markings with dark setulae on upper occiput widening towards lateral margin of head, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex; upper occiput with similar dark setulae; lower occiput with long pale setulae medially, dark setulae laterally; genal area bluish-grey with dark setulae, these dark setulae continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have similar dark ventral setulae; frons bluish-grey pruinose, velvety-black from ocellar tubercle to lower half of eye; frons widening from velvety-black patch towards antennal base; frons bare; face with pale setulae; clypeus black with bluish-grey pruinosity, bare; face separated anteriorly from clypeus by a deep transverse suture, similar to lateral sutures; face not appearing to bulge laterally when viewed in profile; clypeus visible in profile, face not; antennal bases separated ca 0.5 × width of scape, with slight longitudinal groove running between; scape, pedicel dark brown with whitish pruinosity; 1 st flagellomere orange, with some slight darker markings and with similar pruinosity as other segments, 2 nd flagellomere dark brown; scape and pedicel of similar size; 1 st flagellomere reniform, ca 1.5 × size of pedicel; 2 nd flagellomere arista-like; pedicel with dark dorsal and ventral setulae, similar in size, scape with only dark dorsal setulae; palpus black on majority of surface with scattered white pruinosity, orange-yellow on basal third, with dark setulae throughout; palpus ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis ca same length as head height; proboscis mostly brown, basally more orange-yellow, entire structure interspersed with some dark setulae and some shorter pale setulae.

Thorax: Scutum rubbed bare due to degradation from preservation method (♀ with two feint dorsocentral bluish-grey pruinose vittae running from pronotum and joining before scutellum), otherwise dark brown with bluish-grey pruinosity; pronotum bluish-grey pruinose with long pale setulae; postpronotal lobe same dark brown as rest of scutum, slight bluish-grey pruinose, setation unknown, anterolateral margin of lobe lighter yellowish- to orange-brown (♀ colouring more apparent); notopleuron appearing slight bluish-grey pruinose when viewed in profile, however, when viewed dorsally pruinosity shifts into a silver-grey pruinose appearance, running up towards edge of mesonotum (notopleuron mostly rubbed bare except for anterior edge with long dark setulae); postalar wall and postalar callus dark brown with slight bluish-grey pruinosity, anterior of postalar callus orange-yellow; scutellum dark brown with bluish-grey pruinosity, entire margin orange-yellow from base to apex; supra-alar area, postalar wall and postalar callus with patches of dark setulae (less apparent and numerous than in ♀); majority of pleura bluish-grey pruinose, except for anterior of anepimeron and meron shiny blackish-brown; all pleura that are bluish-grey pruinose have pale setulae (only some remnant setulae remain due to damage from preservation method), except for katatergite that has long dark setulae; anatergite and meron bare; proepisternum and proepimeron with long pale setulae; anterior and posterior spiracles whitish-yellow and surroundings yellowish-brown, bare; postspiracular scale dark brown.

Legs: All coxae entirely blackish-brown with only some scattered white pruinosity; fore coxa with mostly pale setulae except for some dark setulae apically; mid coxa with long dark setulae on anterior surface, posterior margin appearing bare; hind coxa with a mix of long pale and dark setulae on anterior edge surrounding well-developed anterior apical point, lateral apical edges with long dark setulae; all trochanters reddish dark brown, all trochanters with short pale setulae; fore femur almost entirely yellow, except for blackish-brown apex and base; mid femur missing; hind femur dark brown except for yellow basal and apical quarters; fore tibia and 1 st and 2 nd tarsal segments dark brown almost black, rest of for tarsi missing; mid tibia and tarsi missing; hind tibia and basitarsus blackish-brown, with base and apex of hind tibia yellowish-brown, rest of hind tarsi missing; fore and hind femora rubbed clean, setation unknown; fore tibia with short dark setulae; hind tibia with dark setulae that are at least as long as segment is wide; hind leg overall stouter than remaining legs; combined length of hind tarsal segments subequal to hind tibia; tibial spur formula 0: 2: 2; fore tibial spur weaker than that of hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 38 ): Light brown suffused on majority of surface except for cell cua and anal lobe; dark brown stigma over cell r 1; darker suffused substigmal marking running down from stigma over crossvein r – m, bases of discal cell, cell m 3 and apex of cell br; veins dark brown, with additional darker brown suffusion around vein CuA; costa without distinct downward flexure over stigma; cell cua closed at wing margin, cell m 3 open, veins M 1, M 2, M 3 present; haltere stalk dirty yellow, knob darker yellowish-brown, with a few short and dark setulae.

Abdomen: Tergite 1 entirely blackish-brown, with dark setulae (pale setulae in ♀); tergite 2 pale, with dark brown median marking, giving it a fenestrated appearance; tergite 3 dark brown, tergites 4 and 5 orange, with tergite 5 with dark brown posterior band; tergite 6 with orange markings anteriorly, otherwise dark brown; remaining tergites dark brown; all tergites rubbed bare except for tergite 1; tergite 1 medially without a longitudinal suture; sternites 1–3 cream coloured, sternite 3 with posterior margin brown; rest of sternites orange-yellow; all sternites with pale setulae.

Terminalia (Figs 56 , 60 ): Epandrium and cercus dark brown with dark setulae; gonocoxite, hypoproct and hypandrium with pale setulae; gonostylus tapering with truncated apex, outer edge of gonostylus with short setulae, inner edge with a protrusion with 4 setulae, apical third of gonostylus with microtrichia; gonocoxite widening and appearing more rounded on apical half, apex somewhat flattened, gonocoxite outer and ventral surface down to parameral apodeme with long setulae, inner surface of upper half with short setulae, lower half with long inward-facing setulae; parameral apodeme well-developed, not reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view, parameral sheath including parameral apodeme ca 0.7 × length of gonocoxite; gonocoxal apodeme about same length as gonocoxite and slightly shorter than ejaculatory apodeme; aedeagal tine curvature extending down past gonocoxites; endoaedeagal process apically truncated and widened.

Female (Fig. 12 ).

Redescription.

(Based on ♀ holotype photographs and additional ♀ material from Uganda.) Head: Black ground colour, with bluish-grey pruinosity on majority of head; eye bare; dichoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye without any indentation; ocellar tubercle barely visible in profile, dark setulose (rubbed bare in ♂ due to damage from preservation method), bluish-grey pruinose medially when viewed dorsally, otherwise appearing black; vertex grey pruinose and dark setulose; anterior ocellus similar in size to posterior pair; ocellar tubercle placed deeper in front of dorsal margin of eye compared to ♂; dorsal inner edge of eye separated from ocellar tubercle by paired silver-grey markings; occiput with same bluish-grey pruinosity as rest of head; paired large rectangular black markings on upper occiput widening towards lateral margin of head with dark setulae, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex; rest of upper occiput with pale setulae; lower occiput with long pale setulae medially and laterally; genal area with dark setulae, rest of ventral head setulae pale, these continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have long pale ventral setulae and some shorter dark setulae; frons bluish-grey pruinose between lower half of eye down to antennal base, velvety-black from ocellar tubercle to lower half of eye; frons widening only slightly from velvety-black patch towards antennal bases; frons with dark setulae on velvety-black area; face, gena and clypeus with bluish-grey pruinosity; face sparsley populated with long pale setulae; clypeus black with bluish-grey pruinosity, bare; face separated anteriorly from clypeus by transverse suture, (less prominent than in ♂) similar to lateral sutures; antennal bases separated ca 0.5 × – 0.75 × width of scape, with slight longitudinal groove running between; scape dark brown with whitish pruinosity and with yellowish lateral margins; pedicel dark brown with whitish pruinosity; 1 st flagellomere orange to orange-brown with similar pruinosity as other segments, scape ca 1.5–2 × length of pedicel; 1 st flagellomere ca 2 × size of pedicel; 2 nd flagellomere, brown, arista-like; pedicel with dark dorsal and ventral setulae, similar in size, scape with only dark dorsal setulae; palpus black on majority of surface with scattered white pruinosity, orange-yellow on at most basal half, with dark setulae throughout; palpus ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis ca same length as head height; proboscis mostly brown, basally more orange-yellow, entire structure interspersed with some pale and dark setulae of varying length.

Thorax: Scutum shining black with two feint dorsocentral bluish-grey pruinose vittae running from pronotum to before scutellum; pronotum bluish-grey pruinose with long pale setulae; postpronotal lobe dark brown, slight bluish-grey pruinose with long pale setulae, anterolateral margin of lobe lighter yellowish- to orange-brown (more apparent than in ♂); scutum with paired, black almost velvety, rectangular marking behind postpronotal lobe (not visible in ♂ due to damage); notopleuron with same colouration as in ♂, however, ♀ notopleuron with scattered pale setulae interspersed with some dark setulae, anteriorly with pale setulae compared to dark group of setulae in ♂; postalar wall and postalar callus dark brown with slight bluish-grey pruinosity, anterior of postalar callus orange-yellow; supra-alar area, postalar wall and postalar callus with patches of dark setulae (more apparent and numerous than in ♂); scutellum dark brown with bluish-grey pruinosity, apical margin orange-yellow; scutum generally with short dark setulae with postsutural setulae longer than presutural setulae, especially prescutellar setulae; majority of pleura bluish-grey pruinose, except for anterior of anepimeron and meron shiny blackish-brown; all pleura that are bluish-grey pruinose have some pale setulae; katatergite with long pale setulae, in contrast to ♂ that has long dark setulae; anatergite and meron bare; proepisternum and proepimeron with long pale setulae; anterior and posterior spiracles yellowish-brown to whitish-yellow (due to damage from preservation method) and surroundings yellowish-brown, bare; postspiracular scale dark brown.

Legs: All coxae brown to blackish-brown with some bluish-grey pruinosity; fore coxa with mostly pale setulae except for some dark setulae apically; mid coxa with long dark setulae on anterior apical surface, otherwise with pale setulae, and sparsley setulose along posterior margin (♂ with only dark setulae); hind coxa with dark setulae on anterior edge surrounding well-developed anterior apical point, lateral apical edges with long pale setulae; all trochanters reddish dark brown, some more yellowish apically, all trochanters with short pale setulae; fore femur in most specimens yellow with extreme base and apex dark brown, some individuals with fore femur dark brown on basal half and apical quarter to third with remainder of segment yellow; mid femur dark brown except for ca apical third that is yellow; hind femur dark brown except for yellow basal and apical quarters; fore tibia and tarsi dark brown to blackish; mid tibia and tarsi yellow, tarsi appearing somewhat darker yellow; hind tibia and basitarsus blackish-brown, with apex of tibia yellowish-brown in some specimens; fore tarsal claws and pulvilli symmetrical, pulvilus and empodium of similar size; fore tarsi with long, somewhat curved along antero- and posteroventral surfaces, sensory setulae ca 2 × as long as tarsal segment is wide; fore femur dorsally with short dark setulae, except for several scattered short pale setulae, apically and medioventrally with long pale setulae, and with a group of 1–3 dark setulae located in middle of femur; mid femur covered in short pale setulae, but with longer pale setulae ventrally and short dark setulae apically; hind femur with mix of short pale and dark setulae, with apex having somewhat longer pale and dark setulae ventrally; hind leg overall stouter than remaining legs; all tibiae with short dark setulae; hind tarsal segments 0.9–1.0 × as long as hind tibia; tibial spur formula 0: 2: 2.

Wing: Light brown suffused on majority of surface, except for cells bm and cua, and anal lobe, overall appearing darker on apical half; dark brown stigma over cell r 1; darker suffused substigmal marking running down from stigma over crossvein r – m, bases of discal cell, cell m 3 and apex of cell br; veins dark brown, with additional darker brown suffusion around vein CuA; costa without distinct downward flexure over stigma; cell cua closed at wing margin or at a short distance from wing margin; cell m 3 open, veins M 1, M 2, M 3 present; haltere stalk dirty yellow, knob darker yellowish-brown, with a few short and dark setulae.

Abdomen: Tergite 1 dark to blackish-brown, with basal margin of some specimens more orange-brown, tergite 1 with pale setulae; tergite 2 mostly pale to orange-yellow, with brown to dark brown median marking running down to brown to dark brown band along posterior margin of tergite, giving it a fenestrated appearance, lateral margins of tergite similar brown colour to rest of tergite; tergites 3 and 4 dark brown with tergite 4 with some specimens also having orange markings posteriorly, tergites 5–7 orange, each with a dark brown posterior band; lateral margins of tergites 4–7 with blackish markings; some specimens have tergite 7 entirely dark brown; dark brown parts of tergites with pale setulae, and orange parts with dark setulae; tergite 1 medially with a longitudinal suture; sternites 1 and 2 cream coloured, sternites 3 and 4 dark brown with posterior margins darker; rest of sternites orange-yellow, ending in dark brown terminalia; all sternites with pale setulae.

Terminalia (Fig. 76 ): Cercus dark brown with pale setulae; genital fork has distal apodeme slender, forked; median lobe with deep apical emargination, paired apical lobes with a slender appearance, inner surface inward projecting with clustered microtrichia at apex, arms gradually rounded; three ovate-shaped and sclerotised spermathecae.

Distribution.

Burundi (new record), Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya (new record), Uganda (new record).

Figures

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 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 55–62. Suragina Walker spp. male terminalia, ventral view (55–58) and epandrium with cerci, dorsal view (59–62): 55, 59 S. agramma (Bezzi) (ICIPE) 56, 60 S. bezzii (Curran) (SAM-DIP A 018382) 57, 61 S. binominata (Bequaert) (NMSA - DIP 028165) 58, 62 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 83425). Abbreviations: aed tn – aedeagal tine; cerc – cercus; ej apod – ejaculatory apodeme; epand – epandrium; goncx – gonocoxite; goncx apod – gonocoxal apodeme; gonst – gonostylus; pm – paramere; pm apod – parameral apodeme; pm sh – parameral sheath. Scale bar (applicable to all illustrations): 0.6 mm.

Figures 75–87. Suragina Walker spp. female genital fork and spermathecae, ventral view: 75 S. agramma (Bezzi) (ICIPE) 76 S. bezzii (Curran) (SAM-DIP- 018403) 77 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. (CSCA) 78 S. binominata (Bequaert) (NMSA - DIP 158411) 79 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 84686) 80 S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 92158) 81 S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 158442) 82 S. malavaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (ICIPE) 83 S. milloti (Séguy) (CSCA) 84 S. monogramma (Bezzi) (BMSA (D) 129988) 85 S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 158392) 86 S. semiobscura Muller, sp. nov. paratype (ICIPE) 87 S. zombaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 1584719). Scale bar (applicable to all illustrations): 0.1 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.