Manicomyia chirindana ( Munro, 1935 )

Freidberg, Amnon & Han, Ho-Yeon, 2012, A second species of Manicomyia Hancock (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephrellini), African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 143-143 : 150-152

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5733/afin.053.0108
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CCB809-FFBC-FFE9-FE79-FE168EC31828
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Manicomyia chirindana ( Munro, 1935 )
status

Treatment

Manicomyia chirindana ( Munro, 1935) View in CoL

Figs 1, 2 View Figs 1–4 , 5 View Figs 5, 6 , 7, 8 View Figs 7–10 , 11, 13, 15, 17–19 View Figs 11–17 View Figs 18–22

Afreutreta chirindana Munro, 1935: 4 View in CoL .

Manicomyia chirindana: Hancock 1986: 18 View in CoL [new genus and new combination]; Norrbom et al. 1999: 165 [ Tephritidae View in CoL catalogue].

Redescription:

Munro’s description is generally adequate, although the only specimen he studied, the male holotype, appears to be atypical in some respects. Although the authors have not personally studied the holotype, it was kindly examined by I.M. White (BMNH). The current redescription, indicating discrepancies between the original description and the specimens cited here, is based on White’s examination of the holotype (HT) and on study of 50 additional recently-collected specimens.

The main discrepancies are (Munro’s statements in quotation marks):

“…bristles [cephalic and thoracic] blackish.” – In the HT these are mainly brown with shorter ones white; in the recently-collected specimens these are pale brownish.

“… 4 i.or.” – In the holotype there are indeed 4; in all recently-collected specimens, however, there are 3 frontal setae, except one female with a single fourth, apparently supernumerary, setula-like seta at level of anterior orbital seta.

“… third [antennal segment] small, barely larger than second” – Both in the HT and in the recently-collected specimens flagellomere 1 is ca 1.5× as long as the pedicel in lateral view.

“Scutellum brown” – In the HT the scutellum is brown with shiny spots at seta bases; in the recently-collected specimens the scutellum is brownish yellow, with blackish spots around the bases of the setae.

“Wing (fig. 1), large, elongate but rather broad” – Based on this figure, which appears to be accurate, the wing ratio is 2.32:1.00. Ratios measured here are: 2.26–2.40. The holotype was not re-measured.

“… third vein with six … and seven small setulae” [13 in total] – In the HT 6+0 setulae ventrally and 7+10 setulae dorsally were counted on the left wing [17 total] and 5+0 ventrally and 7+7 dorsally were counted on the right wing. In recently-collected specimens setulae on vein R 4+5 are much more variable than noted for the holotype, e. g., with some specimens having 13–17 and 11–13 setulae dorsally on vein R 4+5, proximal and distal to crossvein r–m, respectively. Munro probably only counted on the dorsal aspect and he may have missed some due to their small size.

The most significant discrepancies lie in the wing and abdominal colour patterns: The hyaline and sub-hyaline spots around the wing margin are not described clearly. In addition, based on some available specimens with abdominal colour patterns similar to the one described by Munro and other specimens which are different, it is concluded that the holotype is discoloured and the pattern is not diagnostic for this species. In view of these discrepancies, the wing and abdominal pattern is redescribed in detail here and the terminalia is described for the first time. All these parts are described below for the first time for the female.

Head ( Fig. 5 View Figs 5, 6 ): Structure: Head ca 1.36× as high as long; eye ca 1.61× as high as long; face ca 0.93× as long as frons; antenna ca 0.6× as long as face height; flagellomere 1 ca 2.13× as long as high and 1.6× as long as pedicel; frons about as long as wide (length: width ratio about 1.05:1.00); face ca 1.68× as high as wide at narrowest place; palpus length to width proportion mean 2.3 (range 2.1–2.5; n =3).

Thorax: Scutum length:width ratio 1.16:1.23 (mean 1.19; n =3). Subscutellum and mediotergite black or blackish.

Wing ( Figs 7, 8 View Figs 7–10 ): Wing proportion 2.26–2.40 (n =6); crossvein proportion: ca 2.38. Wing venation as in Munro (1935) and figures included here; R 4+5 with setulae varying as follows: dorsally with 13–17 proximal to crossvein r–m, 11–13 distal to this crossvein; ventrally with 6–13 proximal to crossvein r–m, 0–3 setulae distal to this crossvein (n = 10). Pattern: Dimorphic: Male pattern ( Fig. 7 View Figs 7–10 ) described and illustrated by Munro (1935), including broad blackish band extending from posterobasal edge of anal lobe to wing tip, over most of posterior half of wing, reaching vein R 4+5 only in cell br, and interrupted by hyaline area in posterior half of cell cu 1 and apex of anal lobe. Munro also noted that the pattern is yellowish anterior to vein R 4+5 and that there is a conspicuous oblique hyaline area from apex of pterostigma to basal half of cell r 4+5. This yellow area is actually divided into two areas: an anteroapical patch distal to the hyaline incision, and a patch proximal to the hyaline incision, between the pterostigma and vein R 4+5, or slightly anterior or posterior to it. Female pattern ( Fig. 8 View Figs 7–10 ): Similar to male with following differences: dark band broadened distal to level of crossvein dm–cu, more-or-less extending over entire apical part of cells r 4+5, r 2+3, and also over small area at apex of cell r 1. Figuratively, the anteroapical part of the dark area corresponds to the apical yellow area of the male pattern and the proximal yellow area of the male pattern is ‘replaced’ in the female by faint grey reticulation.Anterior border of basal ⅔ of dark band extends more-or-less along vein R 4+5. Resulting female pattern characterised by larger blackish band than in male, no yellow areas and presence of large anterior hyaline area from anterobasal edge of wing to level of crossvein dm–cu.

Abdomen. As described for genus.

Male terminalia ( Figs 11, 13, 15, 17 View Figs 11–17 ): Epandrium ( Fig. 13 View Figs 11–17 ) oval; medial prensiseta much larger than lateral prensiseta. Epandrium in lateral view ( Fig. 11 View Figs 11–17 ) concave posteriorly, not strongly narrowed ventrally, without distinct posteroventral protuberance. Hypandrium, phallus and ejaculatory apodeme as in Figs 11, 15 and 17 View Figs 11–17 , respectively.

Female terminalia: Oviscape: Tergal-oviscapal measure about 3; oviscape orangeyellow (black in discoloured specimens), subshiny, with dense brown setulae; aculeus elongate (ca 11× as long as wide) ( Figs 18, 19 View Figs 18–22 ). Spermatheca as in M. stuckenbergi sp. n. (compare with Fig. 22 View Figs 18–22 ).

Holotype (examined by I.M. White, BMNH): ♂ ZIMBABWE: “ S. Rhodesia: Chirinda Forest , Oct. 1926 (Dr. G. Arnold), in British Museum”.

Material examined: MALAWI: South: 1♂ Zomba Plateau, Emperor’s View, 22–23 x.1983, A. Freidberg ( TAU); 1♂ 1♀ Zomba, 12.viii.1973, E.O. Dudley ( TAU); 12♂ 4♀ Zomba Plateau 2–6 x.1998, F. Kaplan & A. Freidberg, divided as follows: Trout Farm (6♂ 1♀), Forestry Office (2♂ 1♀), Mandala Falls (2♂), Changwa Dam (1♂ 2♀), Mountain Road, 1200 m (1♂) ( TAU); 13♂ 12♀ Chiradzulu Forest , 15°41.8'S : 35°11.2'E GoogleMaps ,

1130 m, 8.i.2010, A. Freidberg, L. Friedman and H.-Y. Han ( TAU & YSUW) . ZIMBABWE: 1♀ “ Mt. Selinda , xii.1935, G. van Son / Afreutreta chirindana Mro , det HKMunro 1936” ( NMSA) ; 4♂ 1♀ “N[orthern] Vumba , 8.ix–30 x.1964, D. Cookson / ‘ Afreutreta ’ chirindana Munro det. D.L. Hancock, 1983” ( NMSA) .

Biology: The specimens from Chiradzulu Forest were collected on an unidentified Acanthaceae , assumed to be Brillantaisia sp.