Pachylophus splendidus Adams, 1905

Deeming, John C., 2018, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Pachylophus Loew (Diptera: Chloropidae) and some related Ovoviviparous genera, Zootaxa 4482 (1), pp. 1-51 : 22-23

Pachylophus splendidus Adams, 1905

( Plate 16 , Figs 82, 83)

Pachylophus splendidus Adams, 1905: 193

Described from Zimbabwe and further recorded from Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho and South Africa. I suspect that this taxon may merely represent a dark form of P. frontalis , having failed to find a structural difference by which they might with certainty be separated.

Material: 1♀, SOUTH AFRICA: Oribi Gorge , river, 30°41.49'S 30°16.8'E, 16.x.1999, D.P. Sumner ( NMWC) ; 2♂, Natal, Ulundi, 5000–6500 ft., ix.1896, G. A.K. Marshall (retained for NMWC from a large series in NHMUK) ; 1♀, Natal, Estcourt, ix–x.1896, G.A.K. Marshall (NHMUK); 1♂ 1♀, Durban , vii.1948, J.C. Faure ( NHMUK) ; 1♀, Transvaal, " Streifnetz-Fänge aus der Fynbos-Vegetation , Saasveld bei George, Indischer Ozean, 15.xii.1986 " ( HUB) ; 1♂, Pretoria , v.1948, J.C. F[aure] ; 4♂ 8♀, ANGOLA: Tundavala, 9 mls. N.W. of Sa da Bandeira , 23.ii.1972, BMSAE ( NHMUK) ; 4♂ 2♀, KENYA: Aberdare Mts. , 2200–3000m, 20.iii.1970, (X337), M. v. Tschirnhaus ( ZSM & NMWC) ; 1♀, MADAGASCAR: Amparafaravola (O. du Lac Alaotra), 1921, R. Decary ( MNHN). This last-listed specimen appeared in the MNHN collection under P. lugens .

Of three of the females from Tundavala dissected, one was found to contain a single larva occupying half the length of its mother's abdomen.

Pachylophus stuckenbergi sp. n.

( Plate 14 , Figs 70, 71)

Diagnosis. A short-headed species with undusted black frontal triangle, rather short postpedicel, legs and pleura predominantly yellowish, and postpronotal lobe bearing a shining black spot in strong contrast to the heavily dusted dark scutum.

Description. Male. Head yellow, deeper than long, deep black on upper half of occiput and on frontal triangle; frons slightly wider than long and only slightly projecting in front of eye; frontal triangle completely undusted, concave from ocellar prominence to its slightly rounded anterior extremity, extending almost to front of frons and with its slightly sinuate sides slightly longer than its width at base; face, parafacial and gena silvery dusted, this last with a long low triangle on mouth rim that does not extend half way to eye margin; occiput weakly grey dusted; inner vertical seta longer than the outer; palpus yellow; pedicel brown, the third rather short, yellow, black on dorsal surface and more than dorsal half of the outer surface. Thorax black dorsally, dirty yellow on pleura, with lower half of meron black, a rather vague brown mark on lower katepisternum and indistinct brownish colouration dorsally on anepisternum and over most of anepimeron; pleura undusted anterior to posterior one third of anepimeron apart from a narrow band of grey dust in front of mid coxa; postpronotal lobe shining yellow with a large black spot; scutum and scutellum heavily dark grey dusted with a paler grey dorsocentral line which is most evident presuturally and a yet paler line along notopleuron; scutellum semicircular with the widely-separated pair of marginal setae strong; 1 dorsocentral, 1 posterior notopleural and 1 postalar seta strong. Hind tibia with distinct elongate oval sensory area that occupies one quarter of its length on posterodorsal surface. Wing greyish hyaline with brown veins, but costa from base to humeral crossvein and membrane adjacent to it dirty yellow; distance between crossveins slightly less than twice length of posterior crossvein; squama grey with ochrous fringe; haltere yellow with brown stem. Abdomen yellow with tergites brownish black and weakly dusted. Length about 2.5mm, of wing 2.25mm.

Female resembling male in all but postabdominal characters.

Material: Holotype ♂, SOUTH AFRICA : East Cape Province, Barkly East District, Lundeans Nek , 1925– 2100m., 18.i.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMP) . Paratypes, 4♂ 6♀, Cape Peninsula, Witsands Dunes, 25- 26.ix.1959, B. & P. Stuckenberg ; 1♂1♀, Natal, Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak Forestry Reserve, Organ Pipes Pass at summit, 9600ft., Erica consocies , iii.1959, B.R. & P.J. Stuckenberg; 1♂, Natal, Drakensberg, Giants Castle Res., 5800ft., 18-23.ix.1961, B. & P. Stuckenberg; 1♀, LESOTHO (as Basutoland); Maseru District, Maloti Mountains, Bushmans Pass , 2125-2250m, 8-14.i.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg ; 2♂ 3♀, Maseru District, Roma Mission, Old Lands , valley floor, 5500ft., 4-13.i.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg ; 2♂ 1♀ Orange River , bridge near Quthing, i.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg (all material in NMP except for 1♂ 1♀ from Witsands Dunes in NMWC) .

Figures

PLATE 14. Figs 68–73. Pachylophus spp. 68, P. pollinosus sp. n., frons; 69, same, habitus; 70, P. stuckenbergi sp. n., frons; 71, same, habitus; 72, P. frontalis Loew, frons; 73, same, habitus.

PLATE 16. Figs 78–83. Pachylophus spp. 78, P. tschirnhausi sp. n., frons; 79, same, habitus; 80, P. varipes Adams, frons; 81, same, habitus; 82, P. splendidus Adams, frons; 83, same, habitus.