Opacifrons subserrata, Papp, 2012

Papp, L., 2012, Five New Afrotropical Species Of Opacifrons (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (2), pp. 121-143 : 134-140

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5735739
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039187E2-FB0E-FFE9-D303-FA32FBE1FCD6
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Opacifrons subserrata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Opacifrons subserrata View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 39–46 View Figs 38–40 View Figs 41–46 , 52–55 View Figs 47–55 , 57 View Figs 56–57 )

Holotype male ( HNHM): RSA: Eastern Cape, in a forest nr R102 , Jan 15–16, 2007, GPS19, S33° 56’ 57.3” E23° 36’ 20.8”, 224 m, No. 25, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI. GoogleMaps

Paratypes ( HNHM): all from the Republic of South Africa, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI, 2007: 30 males 2 females: same as for holotype [abdomen and genitalia of two males in a plastic microvial each with glycerol]; 29 males 3 females: Eastern Cape, Bloukrans Pass, in a side valley, Jan 14–16, GPS16, S33° 57’ 09. 6” E23° 37’ 59.4”, 70 m GoogleMaps , No. 23; 5 males 2 females: 39 Steps Waterfall, Jan 7–8, GPS06, S32° 35’ 22.8” E26° 55’ 57.5”, 1233 m GoogleMaps , No. 4; 1 male: Eastern Cape Prov., Hogsback, Wolf Ridge Road , undergrowth along a small brook, Jan 8, GPS03, S32° 35’ 42.2” E26° 56’ GoogleMaps

view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Fig. 33 View Figs 32–37 , 0.1 mm for Figs 32 and 34–37 View Figs 32–37 View Figs 38–40 View Figs 41–46 View Figs 47–55

51.3”, 1143 m, No. 5; 1 male 2 females: ibid., nr Kettlespout Falls, Jan 8–9, GPS04, S32° 35’ 27.9” E26° 57’ 36.1” GoogleMaps , 1338 m, No. 6; 7 males 6 females: ibid., Contour Path, Jan 8–9, GPS04, S32° 35’ 27.9” E26° 57’ 36.1” GoogleMaps , 1338 m, No. 7; 4 males: ibid., in a park, Jan 8–9, GPS05, S32° 35’ 18.0” E26° 56’ 56.0” GoogleMaps , 1298 m, No. 8; 4 males: ibid., Marie & Child Falls, along a streamlet, Jan 9, GPS07, S32° 36’ 23.5” E26° 57’ 55.3” GoogleMaps , 1101 m, No. 10; 1 male 1 female: ibid., stony hillside with cow pats, Jan 9, GPS07, S32° 36’ 23.5” E26° 57’ 55.3” GoogleMaps , 1101 m, No. 11; 1 male: Eastern Cape Prov., Shamwari Game Reserve, on elephant dung, Jan 11, GPS10, S33° 24’ 47.0” E26° 05’ 45.0” GoogleMaps , 301 m, No. 14; 1 male: Eastern Cape, Keurboomstrand, on sea-shore plants, Jan 17, GPS14, S34° 00’ 17.5” E23° 27’ 00.4” GoogleMaps , 2 m, No. 27; 1 male 2 females: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, Garden Castle, along Mlambonja River , Jan 22, 2007, GPS21, S29° 44’ 59.4” E29° 12’ 42.1” GoogleMaps , 1811 m, No. 33; 3 males 1 female: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, Himeville, Thomas Str. , on compost and fallen fruits, Jan 22, GPS 25, S29° 44’ 36.6” E29° 30’ 49.5” GoogleMaps , 1541 m, No. 35; 1 male 1 female: RSA: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, over and along Mashai River, Jan 24, GPS26, S29° 45’ 13.4” E29° 11’ 30.4” GoogleMaps , 1897 m, No. 37; 4 males: ibid., under a waterfall of the Mashai River, Jan 25, No. 37a; 1 male 3 females / 1 male: KwaZulu Natal, N Drakensberg, Rainbow Gorge, Jan 26–28/30, GPS29, S28° 57’ 36.7” E29° 13’ 33.6” GoogleMaps , 1529 m, No. 39/43; 4 males: ibid., along Rainbow Gorge streamlet, yellow pans, Jan 0.1 mm for all GoogleMaps .

28–31, GPS31, S28° 57’ 42.3” E29° 13’ 18.4”, 1516 m, No. 41; 2 females / 2 males: ibid., over and along iMpofane River, Jan 29/31, GPS32, S29° 03’ 12.7” E29° 23’ 06.2”, 1531 m, No. 42/46 GoogleMaps ; 1 female: ibid., along eNdumeni River, on sedge and on mud, Jan 31, No. 45 GoogleMaps ; 2 females: ibid., Cathedral Peak Park, on cow pats, Jan 31, GPS33, S28° 55’ 55.7” E29° 16’ 06.2”, 1359 m, No. 47. 133 collection specimens GoogleMaps .

Measurements in mm: body length 1.69 (holotype), 1.54–2.09 (paratypes), wing length 1.90 (holotype), 1.45 –2.08 (paratypes), wing width 0.74 (holotype), 0.66–0.88 (paratypes).

Body dark dusty grey.

Frons reddish anteriorly, also facial plate and fore coxa apically with some yellowish hue. Facial plate more microtomentose, sub-shiny. 4 rather long interfrontal pairs. Longest ones (2 middle pairs) 0.12 mm long. Eye large, longest (oblique) diameter 0.30 mm, gena below eye 0.085 mm. Genal seta emerges not far from mouth margin, 0.14 mm, i.e. very long. Arista 0.71 mm long. Aristal cilia 0.025 mm long, cilia apically on first flagellomere 0.02 mm.

Wing clear grey ( Fig. 57 View Figs 56–57 ), veins light brown. Costa overruns R 4 +5 by c. 0.02 mm. Costal index 0.56 mm / 0.64 mm, i.e. 0.88 but up to 0.94 in paratypes. R 2 +3 not arcuately curved, R 4 +5 slightly curved up in apical 1/4. Both lower edges of discal cell somewhat more than 90°, lower edge with a thin but distinct vein reaching half section of the distance of discal cell and wing margin. Alula rather narrow, apex rounded. Halter light yellowish .

Fore and hind legs without special features, except for a row of thin but perpendicular setulae on hind basitarsus and 2nd tarsomeres; this seems characteristic for numerous Opacifrons spp. Male mid tibia with a complete row of short thick thornlets antero-ventrally turning ventral apically; postero-ventrally with a row of thinner setae. Anterior thorn-like setae of mid femur not particularly strong. Anterodorsal setae on mid tibia at 13/42 (strong), 35/42 (long), a more anterior seta at 31/42, a very long posteroventral seta at 30/42. Ventral (actually posteroventral) sub-basal seta of mid basitarsus 0.075–0.08 mm long.

Abdomen comparatively short, tergal setae medium-long. No large marginal setae like in Leptocera spp. Male sternite 5 large caudally with a pair of small, medially directed processes ( Figs 41, 43 View Figs 41–46 ), medio-caudally less sclerotised and without setae there. Mid and right sections of sternite 6 part of synsternite long and broad, sternite 7 short, not reaching even sagittal line, narrowing apically, sternite 8 part large, long and broad ( Fig. 43 View Figs 41–46 ). Ventral processes of cerci ( Fig. 45 View Figs 41–46 ) smaller with rounded apex. Male cercal pegs large and emerge far from each other ( Fig. 45 View Figs 41–46 ). Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 45 View Figs 41–46 , covered) larger and ventrally broader than that of O. rubrifrons . Surstylus without an apical thorn (a small short peg there), surstyli symmetrical ( Fig. 42 View Figs 41–46 ). Apical half of distiphallus broadened apically ( Fig. 39 View Figs 38–40 ) but less broad than in O. dilatata sp. n.. Basiphallus as in O. serrata sp. n.. Epiphallus ( Fig. 40 View Figs 38–40 ) narrowly connected to basiphallus with only 1 projection sub-basally. Postgonite broad in its basal 3/5 only, apical third narrow with 2 apices ( Figs 44, 46 View Figs 41–46 ), i.e. with a second subapical apex posteriorly.

Female abdomen rather short, without long setae. Sternite 7 ( Fig. 53 View Figs 47–55 ) rather large with more numerous and longer setae than in O. compacta sp. n. and much longer than tergite 7, that makes anal opening to turn dorsally. Epiproct comparatively large ( Fig. 55 View Figs 47–55 ), sagittally less melanised and sclerotised, houseroof-shaped when at rest. Cerci ( Fig. 55 View Figs 47–55 ) short, not much longer than broad, upright (pressed down on Fig. 55 View Figs 47–55 ) with indistinct hairs but with 2 pairs of discoloured thick thorns, whose apices are sharp but not lengthened/extruded in thin curved projections, cercal pegs without ventral incisions. Spectacles shaped sclerites comparatively large, medial sclerite large and flat ( Fig. 52 View Figs 47–55 ). Spermathecae ( Fig. 54 View Figs 47–55 ) long, distal part globular, proximal part even longer, its part below distal globular part slightly dilated, common duct of paired spermathecae rather short.

view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 43, 46 View Figs 41–46 , 0.1 mm for Figs 41–42, 44–45 View Figs 41–46

0.2 mm for Figs 47, 53 View Figs 47–55 , 0.1 mm for Figs 48–52, 54–55 View Figs 47–55

Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species (‘sub serrata’) refers to its relationship to

O. serrata sp. n. with similarly shaped postgonite.

Remark. After finalising the manuscript, I found an additional species in the NMSA material. It keys out to O. rubrifrons (cercal pegs close to each other), but otherwise its genitalia show a mix of the 3 species: postgonite is similar to that of O. serrata sp. n. but surstyli are symmetrical (and slightly bilobed); aristal cilia are the longest one among the Afrotropical species (0.03 mm). 1 male (teneral specimen, abdomen with genitalia is a plastic microvial with glycerol): SOUTH AF- RICA: KZ-Natal, Vernon Crookes Nature Res., Mthakati Valley, forest understorey, sweeping, 30° 17’S: 29° 36’E, 27. iv. 2007, GBP Davies.