Leptocera elgonensis RICHARDS, 1938

Papp, L., 2012, A Review Of The Afrotropical Species Of Leptocera Olivier (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (3), pp. 225-258 : 232-234

Leptocera elgonensis RICHARDS, 1938

( Figs 13–23 )

Leptocera (Leptocera) elgonensis RICHARDS, 1938: 382 .

The holotype female ( Kenya, Suam Fishing Hut, E. side Mount Elgon, 2,700–2,800 m., March ) is deposited in the collection of the MNHN (not seen). Two female paratypes with similar data are in the collection of the Natural History Museum. London ( PITKIN 1989 : 16: Duam Fishing Hut, etc.). The “ allotype m” is from “Elgon Saw mill, E. side Mount Elgon, camp II, 2470 m, Dec.” ( MNHN). One of the other paratypes is from Marakwet, Campi Cherangani ( MNHN). I did not manage to examine the types in the course of this study .

Material studied: 3 males 2 females ( NMSA, 1 male with genitalia dissected, HNHM): KENYA: Narok #80, Ridge of Mau Escarpment, 00° 22’ N: 34° 53’E, 1620 m. Date: 24. xi. 1992, A Whittington & J Londt. Indig. Bamboo forest; 1 male: KENYA: Kiambu #82, 50 km NNW of Nairobi, 00° 57’ S: 36° 40’E, 2260 m. Date: 28. xi. 1992, J Londt & A Whittington. Gatamuyu Forest (indig.) .

Redescription – Male body length usually c. 2.6–2.7 mm (smallest one from Kiambu only 2.03 mm), wing length 2.3–2.4 mm, wing width c. 1.0 mm; females larger, 2.7–2.8 mm, wing length c. 2.6–2.7 mm, width 1.14–1.18 mm.

Body dark brown, finely grey microtomentose, including facial plate and frons. Cephalic chaetotaxy as in L. kovacsi . Anterior fronto-orbital seta c. 5/7 length of the posterior one. Gena below eye 0.105 mm broad, longest axis of eye 0.39 mm. Genal seta 0.15 mm long. Aristal cilia as long as longest cilia on first flagellomere, i.e. 0.025 mm. 1+3 pair of dorsocentral setae. 5 acrostichal macrochaetae, the 5th one may be found on the left side (contrarily to L. kovacsi ). Anterior acrostichal pair shorter than presutural dorsocentral pair, 2nd acrostichal pair about as long as presutural dorsocentrals. Apical scutellar seta as long as 2nd pair (0.60 mm up to 0.77 mm), 3rd pair half as long. Anterior katepisternal 0.26 mm, posterior one 0.47 mm. Mid basitarsus with a 0.17 mm long ventral seta. Mid tibia with antero-dorsal setae at 7/62 (short), 13/62, 21/62 (very long), 37/62 (short), 43/62 (very long); dorsal setae at 41/62, 46/62 (0.34 mm), postero-dorsals at 13/62 and 23/62; a nearly perpendicular posterior seta at 42/62. Posterodorsal apical setae on mid tibia 0.06 mm, posteroventral 0.13 mm long.

Male abdominal sternite 5 ( Figs 17–18 ) broad, almost without long setae, posteromedial membranous and desclerotized part not large, setulae there thin. Synsternite ( Fig. 17 ) larger than in L. austroafricana , with extremely large sternite 6 and small, short sternite 7 and 8. Epandrium with a large ventro-caudal seta but otherwise with medium-long setae only. Arms of hypandrium slightly asymmetrical ( Fig. 20 ), rather short, apodeme strongly asymmetrical, with caudally directed Y-shaped process to join to postgonites. Subepandrial sclerite slightly larger than in its congeners, as broad as high (0.10 mm). Cercus ( Fig. 22 ) digitiform with 1 very long apical and several shorter setae. Anterior part of surstylus ( Fig. 23 ) peculiar with long but low basal part, anterior process very large sickle-shaped with fine hairs anteriorly. Posterior part of surstylus ( Figs 22–23 ), obliquely medially directed with long lateral setae, apical bristle comparatively short. Phallapodeme rather short (0.29 mm), phallus comparatively long, 0.25 mm with sclerotised and melanised dorsal sagittal rib. Basal part of postgonite strongly curved ( Fig. 19 ) with large ventrally projecting caudal process, which turns to be perpendicular to body axis. Apical half of postgonite long, slender and sinuate with minute teeth on anterior edge. Due to their length the postgonites are freely visible in three out of four examined specimens without any preparation.

mm for Figs 18, 20–21 , 0.1 mm for Figs 19, 22

Female terminalia. Tergite 8 ( Fig. 14 ) large (long) with some setae on dorsal part but with at least 12 setae densely placed marginally on ventral part. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 16 ) with preceding sclerotized but pale membrane. Tergite 10 ( Fig. 13 ) completely fused to cerci, tergal part with 2 pairs of setae, cercal part with a pair of long as well as some short setae. Spermathecae ( Fig. 15 ) ovoid, with ducts that are slightly longer than in L. austroafricana . Spermathecae with mostly apically curved spicules except in apical third.

Remark. RICHARDS’ s (1938) description is very superficial. However, his fig. 5 on spermathecae (tip of one of the paired spermathecae lost), and even fig. 3 on tergite 8 (much more ventral view than true lateral) are similar to my figures.

Distribution. Known from type locality and two other nearby localities in Kenya.

Figures

Figs 9–16. Leptocera spp., female postabdomen and spermathecae. 9–12. L. austroafricana sp. n.: 9 = tergite 10 fused with cerci, dorsal view, 10 = tergite 8, lateral view, 11 = sternite 8, ventral view, 12 = spermathecae. 13–16. L. elgonensis RICHARDS: 13 = tergite 10 fused with cerci, dorsal view, 14 = tergite 8, lateral view, 15 = spermathecae, 16 = sternite 7 and sternite 8, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2

Figs 17–22. Leptocera elgonensis RICHARDS, male postabdomen. 17 = sternite 5 and synsternite, ventral view, 18 = caudal part of sternite 5, ventral view, 19 = postgonite, right lateral view, 20 = hypandrium, ventral view, 21 = phallus, phallapodeme and ejaculatory apodeme, left lateral view, 22 = cercus and contours of posterior part of surstylus, caudal view. Scale bars: 0.4 mm for Fig. 17, 0.2

Figs 23–27. Leptocera spp., male postabdomen: 23 = L. elgonensis (RICHARDS), anterior and posterior parts of surstylus, lateral view. 24–27. L. inconspicua sp. n., paratype male: 24 = sternite 5 and contours of ventral part of synsternite, ventral view, 25 = caudal part of sternite 5, ventral view, 26 = subepandrial sclerite, cercus and posterior part of surstylus, caudal view, 27 = phallus, phallapodeme, ejaculatory apodeme and medial part of hypandrium, left lateral view. Scale bars: 0.4 mm for Fig.24