Poecilosomella parangulata, Papp, 2010

Papp, L., 2010, Seven New Afrotropical Species Of Poecilosomella Duda (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 56 (1), pp. 9-41 : 24-29

Poecilosomella parangulata sp. n.

( Figs 33–45 )

Holotype male ( HNHM): RSA [Republic of South Africa], Eastern Cape Prov., Hogsback, Wolf Ridge Road , undergrowth along a small brook, Jan 8, 2007, GPS03, S32°35’42.2” E26°56’ 51.3”, 1143 m, No. 5, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI.

Paratypes in the HNHM : 3 males, 5 females: same data as holotype; 2 males, 4 females ( HNHM) : ibid., Marie & Child Falls , along a streamlet, Jan 9, 2007, GPS07, S32°36’23.5” E26°57’ 55.3”, 1101 m, No. 10; 1 female : ibid., 39 Steps Waterfall , Jan 7–8, 2007, GPS06 , S32°35’22.8” E26° 55’57.5”, 1233 m, No. 4; 1 male: nr Kettlespout Falls , Jan 8–9, 2007, GPS04 , S32°35’27.9” E26°57’ 36.1”, 1338 m, No. 6; 3 females: ibid., Contour Path , Jan 8–9, 2007, GPS04, S32°35’27.9” E26°57’ 36.1”, 1338 m, No. 7; 1 female : ibid., in a park, Jan 8–9, 2007, GPS05 , S32°35’18.0” E26°56’56.0”, 1298 m, No. 8. 2 males 1 female ( HNHM): REP. S. AFR.: Natal , 75 km WSW Eastcourt, Cathedral Peaks For. Sta. 1400 m, 10–11. xii. 1979, S&J Peck, Dung Trap, [another label] Poecilosomella angulata det. L. PAPP ; 1 female. S. AFRICA : Drakensberg , 15. xii. 1979, Dung Trap AND Sweeping, [another label] Poecilosomella angulata det. L. PAPP . Paratypes in the NMSA : 1 male: NATAL, Catherdral Peak area , XII.26–27, 1977. 2829 CC, R. M. Miller, indigenous for .; 1 male: Natal , 20km SE Nkandl, 2831 Ca, Nkandla Forst res., 26. I. 1980, for. Margin, R. Miller & P. Stabbins ; 2 males: Van Stadens Pass, Port Elizabeth District , 30 October 1964, B & P Stuckenberg ; 2 males: Gillitts , Pinetown district, Natal, S. Africa, B. & P. Stuckenberg ; 3 males: Natal , Umlalazi Nature Res., 26–27.i. 1987, JGH Londt, SE 2831DD, Dune forest & margin ; 2 males: KZ-Natal, Ozabeni-Manzimbomvu Section , Greater St. Lucia, Wetland park (2732 DA), 27–28.v.2006, G.B.P. Davies ; 1 male: Natal Prov. , Zululand , 20 mi. S. Ndumu Game Res., Camp (2732 Aa), No. 29, 1971, M.E.&B.J. Irwin, dry scrub forest, 320 ft ; 1 female: Transvaal, Entabeni Forestry Station , Zoutpansberg Range, 23°00’S: 30°14’E, Vera Kop Forest c. 1350m, 15-i–1974, Stuckenberg ; 1 female: Natal , kosi Bay Nat. Reserve, 2532DD, 30.xi.–2.xi. 82, Londt, Barraclough & Stuckenberg, Forest & open woodland areas .; 1 female: Natal , Karkloof, 2930AB, Coll. Barrachlough, Date 19. i. 1983 . 1 female (damaged, not a paratype): [ Zimbabwe] N. Vumba , S. Rhodesia, 4.3.1965, D. Cookson .

Measurements in mm: body length 3.46 (holotype), 3.52- 4.86 (paratype males), 2.53–4.15 (paratype females), wing length 2.97 (holotype), 3.01–3.44 (paratype males), 2.54–4.15 (paratype females), wing width 1.24 (holotype), 1.26–1.46 (paratype males), 1.10–1.43 (paratype females).

Body dark brown, finely grey microtomentose, head and thorax with dark silvery pattern like in P. angulata .

Interfrontal stripes very short, 0.10–0.12 mm. 3 or 4 short, strongly medioclinate interfrontal pairs. Two pairs of subequal, closely set fronto-orbital setae. Outer and inner vertical, outer and inner occipitals comparatively short but thick. Postocellars fine. Vibrissa emerges well dorsally to mouth margin. Genal seta fine, 0.14 to 0.17 mm long, plus several genal setae present on lower half of genae. Scape and pedicel dark brown. First flagellomere slightly longer than broad, with a subapical not sharp edge, colour brown but covered by c. 0.015 mm long dark grey hairs. Arista comparatively short (0.44 mm on holotype) with 0.02–0.025 mm long cilia. Palpi yellow with 5–6 longer setae apically and ventrally.

Two pairs of medium long dorsocentral setae, acrostichals in c. 10 not well ordered rows. 1 posterior katepisternal only, plus 3 anterior short hairs. Scutellar setae thick but not particularly long, apicals 0.63 mm (holotype) to 0.84 mm long. Other thoracic setae as in P. angulata .

Wings yellowish, base brown, veins yellow or ochre. Brown spots (and veins dark brown there) at H, at base of medial and anal veins, at apical section of vein R 2+3, and a fine diffuse one at apex of R 4+5. Apical part of R 2+3 edged but without a vein appendage in a majority of specimens (some specimens with a fine short appendage). Second costal section shorter than third section (ratio 1.12 to 1.40, on holotype 1.40, lower values on females), the ratio is not a diagnostic feature. Discal cell short, hind cross-vein 0.23 mm (holotype), inter-crossvein section 0.21 mm; also R-M rather long, 0.14 mm on holotype. Vein R 4+5 slightly curved, medial vein strongly S-shaped curved. Terminal section of Cu as long as dM-Cu. Alula large and broad. Halteres yellow, medial part of knob in some specimens darkened.

Legs dark brown, finely grey microtomentose. Femora with ochre apices. All tibiae with an apical and a sub-basal broad ochre rings each (the latter ones centred at basal 1/3 on mid tibia). Fore basitarsus darkened basally, otherwise tarsomeres 1–3 ochre, tarsomeres 4–5 dark brown. Male fore femur thickened, posterodorsal base with short thick black spines, posterior (outer) half with dense fine hairs. Fore tibia ventrally and on the whole posterior half with thick long hairs, longest on the posterior line (up to 0.22 mm), those hairs thickened into setae. Tarsomeres 1 to 4 posteriorly and ventrally with long thick hairs. Mid tibia with a long thick anterior seta at 5/8, anterodorsals at 3/20 (small), ¼ (short), 31/80 (longer), 55/80 (short) and 7/8 (very strong); posterodorsals at 18/80 (short), 2/8 and 46/80 (slightly longer) and 66/80 (long). No mid ventral or ventroapical setae on mid tibia but apex with 5–6 medium long and slightly curved setae. No long setae or hairs on ventral half of male mid tibia but hairs slightly thicker ventrally. Dorsal half of male hind tibia with short thick sharp spiniform setae ( Fig. 33 ).

In both males and females only the anteroventral row of setae is strong on mid basitarsus; only 2 or 3 posteroventral setae present and only thin normal setae are in the anterior row.

Female mid tibia with distinct though not long ventroapical seta. Dorsal half of female hind tibia all along with thicker long setae, longer than half of tibial diameter.

Abdominal tergites with narrow light caudal marginal bands and a pair of dark silvery lateral spots on tergites 2 to 5 in males and 2 to 6 in females. Male abdominal tergite 1 is comparatively well sclerotised, desclerotised only on a narrow sagittal line and on a transverse and not long medial section bordering tergite 2. Male tergite 2 not desclerotised at all. Tergite 3 to 5 broad, dark with rather short thick black setae. Male sternites 2 to 4 rather normal, c. 0.35 mm broad (compared to the more than 1.5–1.6 mm broad tergite 3), less sclerotised and darkened than tergites.

Male tergite 5 c. 0.11 mm broad, i.e. 2/3 of pre-abdominal tergites, sternite 5 ( Fig. 34 ) asymmetrical, medially without any appendages and with short setulae in several rows, a bare dark area cranially to those setulae. Lateral setae on sternite 5 not particularly long. Synsternite complex comparatively long but narrow. No right side sclerites developed. Sternite 6 portion not much overruns sagittal line (and short (narrow) there), left lateral part strongly broadened. Sternite 7 portion with an arched curved and inside directed large lobe in the sagittal axis of the body plus a curved, more caudal sclerite. Sternite 8 part more than 0.3 mm long and much convex, consequently abdominal end seems bulbous. Epandrium not large with a pair of very long (0.35 mm or even longer) dorsal setae; other epandrial setae sparse but comparatively long (ventral ones 0.22–0.25mm). Modified cerci joining epandrium with a rather deep concave edge ( Fig. 35 ). Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 35 ) with a pair of dorsal processes, medial part slightly higher than cerci there. Anal plates large but weakly sclerotised. Hypandrium ( Fig. 38 ) with lateral arms separated (not fused to) medial part. Medial part of hypandrium with a pair of short thin caudal processes. Male surstylus ( Figs 36–37 ) rather compact without very long setae and with a dark sub-basal medial process. Apical thorn rather small, longest surstylar setae on inner (medial) side; medial side bears more setae than lateral (outer) side. Basiphallus ( Fig. 40 ) short but high, with a pair of ventral, medio-cranial, less sclerotised and short setose lobes; setae on lobes recurved. Distiphallus ( Fig. 41 ) intricately sclerotised but not strongly melanised; thread-like appendage emerges from the apical 1/3–2/3; length of distiphallus without appendage c. 0.3 mm. Postgonite ( Fig. 39 ) broadened in apical half in lateral view; apical 4/7 with short thick yellow setae. Phallapodeme ( Fig. 40 ) comparatively short 0.32–0.35 mm.

Female abdomen about as broad as long. Sternites 2 to 5 about 0.3 mm broad only. Postabdomen not evertible at all.

Female terminalia ( Figs 42–45 ). Tergite 8 composed of two comparatively large subtriangular sclerites; a rather small medial sclerite between them, which joins epiproct and which is interpreted here as a part of tergite 8. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 44 ) nearly trapezoid with a pair of 0.16 mm long setae and with several setulae, incl. 4 subapical ones. Epiproct ( Fig. 43 ) medium, with a pair of rather long (c. 0.15 mm) setae. Hypoproct U-shaped, evenly microsetose. Cerci yellowish, very short 0.07 mm only ( Fig. 42 ) with several (usually 5) long setae. A weakly sclerotised spectacles-shaped sclerites detectable. The paired and unpaired spermathecae on the left and the right abdominal wall, i.e. rather far from each other. Spermathecae ( Fig. 45 , cf. PAPP 1991: fig. 1), globular, surface rather smooth, diameter 0.05–0.055 mm, paired and unpaired ones similar. The sclerotised ducts (joining spermathecae) thinner than the less sclerotised ones distally. On one of the females prepared, one of the paired spermathecae is reduced ( Fig. 45 ).

A tendency for reduction of one of the paired spermathecae is not unknown in Sphaeroceridae . It was even depicted in a species of Pterogrammoides ( PAPP 1989: fig. 7), although at that time it was attributed to the effect of glycerol.

Distribution: Republic of South Africa.

P. parangulata sp. n. seems to be close to P. angulata , though it is identifiable without any use of the male genital characters (see key below).

Much to my regret I have to note that at least a part of the P. angulata specimens in collections are misidentified, including those, which were named formerly by the present author. This is particularly so as regards specimens from Southern Africa. It is a matter of course that Poecilosomella specimens from the New World all belong to P. angulata (THOMSON) (see above).

I summarise differentiating characters for the identification of the P. angulata group species in the key below.

Figures

Figs 33–35. Poecilosomella parangulata sp. n., paratype male. 33 = hind tibia, dorsal view, 34 = sternite 5, ventral view, 35 = epandrium with modified cerci and subepandrial sclerite, caudal view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 34–35, 0.4 mm for Fig. 33

Figs 36–41. Poecilosomella parangulata sp. n., paratype male, postabdomen and genitalia. 36–37 = surstylus in broadest (sublateral) view: 36 = outer view, 37 = inner (medial) view, 38 = hypandrium, dorsal view, 39 = postgonite in widest extension, i.e. sublateral view, 40 = basiphallus and phallapodeme, lateral view (outset: caudal part in higher magnification), 41 = distiphallus, dorsal view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 36–38, 40, 0.1 mm for Figs 39, 41

Figs 42–45. Poecilosomella parangulata sp. n., paratype female, postabdomen and genitalia. 42 = outlines of the female postabdomen, caudal view, 43 = epiproct, dorsal view; 44 = sternite 8, ventral view, 45 = spermathecae (one of the paired ones reduced), lateral view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 42–44, 0.1 mm for Fig. 45