Delia flavibasis (Stein, 1903)

Ackland, D. M., 2008, Revision of Afrotropical Delia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of six new species, African Invertebrates 49 (1), pp. 1-75 : 23-27

Delia flavibasis (Stein, 1903)

Figs 12–16 , 23

Chortophila flavibasis Stein, 1903: 121 ; 1913: 560.

Hylemyia bouhelieri Séguy, 1934: 75 . Synonymy after Hennig 1974 b: 806.

Hylemyia hordacea Séguy, 1936: 3 ; 1953: 87. Synonymy after Hennig 1974 b: 806.

Hylemyia sedaga Séguy, 1950: 277 . Synonymy after Hennig 1974 b: 806.

Hylemyia flavibasis (Stein) : Curran 1929: 247;?Emden 1956: 530;? Paterson 1956: 164.

“ Hylemyia arambourgi Séguy ”: Emden 1941 a: 265; 1948: 166 (in part); 1951: 357 (in part);? Bullock 1965: 645–661.

“ Delia arambourgi Séguy ”: Ackland 1967: 119; 1968: 71; Deeming 1971: 134.

Delia flavibasis (Stein) : Hennig 1974 b: 806; Ackland 1977: 203; Pont & Ackland 1980: 716.

Diagnosis:

♂ Arista with hairs not, or only slightly longer than aristal diameter at base; parafrontals adjacent to lunule with darker shifting sheen-stripe; prealar seta absent; fore tibia with 1 ad and 1 pd; mid tibia without av; cercal plate in lateral view ( Fig. 13 ) rounded and keel-like, produced between surstyli.

♀Prealar seta absent; fore tibia with 2 pv; mid tibia without av; parafacials adjacent to lunule with darker shifting sheen-stripe.

Male.

Colour: Head dark in ground colour, frontal stripe matt black (orange in teneral specimens) when viewed from above, whitish grey from in front, parafrontals and parafacials from whitish to grey dusted depending on angle of view, parafrontals adjacent to lunule with shifting darker patch when viewed from side, parafacials below are lighter dusted; palpi and antennae dark brown, mentum dusted. Thorax dark in ground colour with dense grey dust, scutum almost bluish grey dusted just behind head, posteriorly from 2nd presutural dc to scutellum with darker and lighter grey and brown dust, indistinctly and irregularly striped, pleura and postnotum lighter grey. Wing membrane light brownish tinged in basal half; squamae slightly paler than wing base. Legs brown dusted, knees and tibiae obscurely orange-brown. Scutellum as scutum, with faint brown dust on disc.Abdomen brown with shifting green-grey dust, darker brown median vitta which is as wide as width of femur; cercal plate and surstyli brown.

Head: Frontal stripe almost touching above, separated by less than diameter of anterior ocellus, parafrontals linear here, widening adjacent to lunule to about 0.8× width of postpedicel; gena below lowest point of eye margin as wide as postpedicel; genal setae uniserial; lower margin of head in profile slightly curved; peristomal margin in lateral view not projecting; 4 pairs of frontal setae which are fine and short; cruciate interfrontal setulae very fine and hair-like.Antennae short, 2 times as long as wide, not quite reaching peristomal margin; arista pubescent, hairs generally not longer than diameter at base. Mentum short, about 0.8× length of palpi.

Thorax: Presutural acr very short, hardly longer or stronger than scutal hairs, which are few in number, biserial, the rows separated from each other by 2× distance between acr and dc rows; notopleural depression bare apart from 2 strong setae; prealar seta absent; 1–2 unequal proepisternals and 1 long proepimeral with 2 associated hairs; scutellum bare on disc. Katepisternals 1+2, lower posterior seta about 0.8× length of upper, long hair present below anterior seta.

Wing: Stronger spines before distal break hardly as long as small crossvein, anterior spinules shorter than width of vein C, which is bare ventrally; lower squama shorter than upper. Wing length 4.5 mm.

Legs: Mid femur with 1–2 longer v at base; hind femur ( Fig. 23 ) with 3–4 av in distal half, median ones shorter, only 1–2 pv at apex; fore tibia with a very short pointed preapical pv, 1 longer preapical d, 0–1 ad, 1 pd; mid tibia av absent, 1 ad, 1 pd, 2 pv, all short; hind tibia with 2 av, 5 ad, 3 pd, lowest one longest, no pv. Pulvilli about as long as claws.

Abdomen: Slightly longer than thorax, in dorsal view with side margins slightly convex, tergite III is 2.4 times as wide as long, dorsoventrally compressed. Sternites III and IV from slightly narrower to as wide as sternite V, sternite IV ( Fig. 14 ) not quite twice as long as wide, discal and lateral setae not very long. Surstyli ( Fig. 12 ) narrowed basally when viewed caudally and becoming wider towards middle, in profile ( Fig. 13 ) always curving slightly, i.e. convex on dorsal (posterior) surface. Cercal plate 1.5–2 times as long as wide, in profile always produced between surstyli, keel-like. Aedeagus ( Fig. 15 ) with distal section 1.75 times as long as aedeagal apodeme, divided in about distal half into pair of free paraphallic processes. Acrophallus ( Fig. 16 ) sclerotized, forming plate between bases of paraphallic processes.Aedeagal apodeme in dorsal view widely expanded anteriorly, twice as long as greatest width. Ejaculatory apodeme 0.44× length of aedeagal apodeme.

Female.

Differs from female of D. bracata as follows:

Colour: Parafacials at level of antennal base with distinct orange to black shifting sheenstripe, which when viewed from above disappears. Abdomen with distinct median vitta (as opposed to male).

Head: Interfrontalia at level of anterior orbitals slightly wider than each parafrontal (0.3×); 2 pairs of inclinate frontal setae are shorter than those of bracata .

Thorax: Legs: Mid tibia without av.

Abdomen: Postabdomen apparently identical to D. bracata .

Types: Hennig (1974 b: 807) designated a male lectotype of flavibasis (in DEI), type locality Egypt, Luxor. The types of bouhelieri Séguy , hordacea Séguy , and sedaga Séguy (in MNHN) were also examined by Hennig (loc. cit.) and synonymized with flavibasis . I also examined the type of sedago in 1974 and agree with Hennig’s identification. I made the following notes:

Holotype ♂ “ Hylemyia sedago ♂ Type / E. Séguy vid 48” [white label]; “TYPE” [red label]; “Agadez / Aïr SUD / 525 m. / 5.8.57” [white label]; “IPAN-1947 / L. Chopard / A. Villiers” [white label] (MNHN). Specimen dissected; right mid and hind legs missing; right wing missing; left postpedicel and arista missing. Other material examined: ANGOLA: 1 ♂ 3 mls N Santa Comba, 7–8.iii.1971 (BMNH). BOTSWANA: 2 ♂ Lake Ngami, NE Sehithwa, 16–17.iv.1972 (BMNH). ETHIOPIA: 4 ♂ 5♀Sinana, 47ºE:7ºN, alt. 2400 m, 5–18.x.2002, ex barley, J. Tafa (1 ♂ 1♀in DMA). KENYA: 1 ♂ Muguga, 6–12.i.1969, M.C. Birch (DMA); 1 ♂ Kasanari, 10.viii.1989, swept savannah, J.W. Ismay (DMA); Solai, vi.1953, ex larva in stems of young barley, P.T. Walker (BMNH). MADAGASCAR: 2 ♂ 5♀Madagascar Centre, Andringitra-Ambalavao, Plateau Saoindrana, alt. 2060 m, 14–17.i.1958, B. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 2 ♂ Anjavidilava, 2020 m, 17–21.i.1958, B. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 3♀Pic Boby, alt. 2400 m, 11– 14.i.1958, B. Stuckenberg (NMSA). MOZAMBIQUE: 3 ♂ Luabo, Lower Zambezi R., vii, viii.1957, P.J. Usher (NMSA). NAMIBIA: 1 ♂ 8♀Rundu Dist., Katara Okavango R., 17°48'56"S: 18°53'38"E, 20–23.i.1998, Kirk-Spriggs & Marais, Malaise traps (NMWN); 1♀West Caprivi Pk., Kwando R., Susuwe, 17°45'37"S: 23°20'25"E, 28.ix–2.x.1998, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap, dry woodland (NMWN); 3♀Tsumkwe Dist., Sikereti, 19°06'24"S: 20°42'20"E, 28.xii.1998, Kirk-Spriggs, Marais & Mann, at light (NMWN). NIGERIA: 1♀Gadam, 26.vii.1929, A.W. Taylor (BMNH); 3 ♂ [on same mount], Zaria, Guga Forest reserve, 11.ix.1971, J.C. Deeming (NMWC); 1♀Zaria, Samuru, 2.vii.1967, larvae ex millet, J.C. Deeming (BMNH); 1♀same locality, 6.vii.1966, ex guinea corn, G.T. York (BMNH); 1 ♂ Zaria, Dembi Wood, 29.viii.1971, J.C. Deeming (NMWC); 1 ♂ Makurdi, R. Benui bank, 30.iv.1972, J.L. Musa (NMWC); 1♀Obudu Plat., cattle ranch, 19.xii.1970, M. Politzar (NMWC); 1♀Obudu Plat., cattle ranch, 21.xii.1970, J. M. Phillips (NMWC); 1♀Ile-Ife, 6.ix.1969, J.T. Medler (NMWC); SÃO TOMÉ: 1 ♂ 16.xi.1932, W.H. Tams (BMNH). SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 1 ♂ 1♀10 km SE Vanrhynsdorp, along river, 3118DA, 14.x.1997, R.M. Miller (NMSA). Eastern Cape: 1 ♂ 1 km NW Somerset East, 3225DA, 28–29.x.1978, picnic area stream, J. Londt & R. Miller (NMSA); 1 ♂ 1♀Boesmansriviermond, 3326AD, 27–31.vii.1985, mill above caravan park, J. Londt (NMSA); 1♀5 km NE Queenstown, Bongolo Dam, 3126DD, 26.x.1978, dry river below wall, R. Miller & J. Londt (NMSA); 3♀16 mls E of Cradock Farm, “Who can tell”, alt. 1000 m, 11.iii.1972, leg. M.E. & B.J. Irwin (NMSA); 1♀Coldstream, Tsitsikama area, 25–28.x.1964 (NMSA); 1 ♂ 1♀Port St Johns, 20–25.xi.1961 NMSA); 2♀10 –22.xi.1995, A.J.T. Janse (NMSA). Gauteng: 1 ♂ Pretoria, Broederstroom, 12.viii.1963, Haeselbarth (NMSA); 1♀Witwatersrand Univ., Johannesburg, 1.vi.1977, P. Ferrar (NMSA); 1♀Johannesburg, 2628Aa, Highlands North, 12.viii.1981, R. Elferink (NMSA); 1 ♂ Johannesburg, 4.xi.1951, F. Zumpt (BMNH); 1 ♂ same data but 27.iv.1952 (BMNH). Free State: 1 ♂ 10 km N of Aberfeldy, Somerby Farm, 2828Bb, empoundment, 27.xii.1982, R. Miller & P. Stabbins (NMSA). KwaZulu-Natal: 1♀Wartburg, 10.x.1989, open lot in town, grass, A.E Whittington (NMSA); 2♀Darvill maturation Ponds, Pietermaritzburg, 29°33'00''S: 30°20'11''E, 27.vi.1990, D. Barraclough, S. Chinn & A. Whittington (NMSA); 1♀Pietermaritzburg, Blackridge area, 20.iv.1982, grass on road margin, D.A. Barraclough (NMSA); 1♀Dargle, 19.v.1964, margin of pasture, R. Miller (NMSA); 1 ♂ 6♀Drakensberg, Giants Castle Res., alt. 5800 ft, 18–23.ix.1961, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 2 ♂ 1♀Royal National Park, from montane forest, alt. 1530 m, 16.ix.1965, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1♀same locality, 12.ix. 1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1♀same locality, 13.ix.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1 ♂ 3♀Royal National Park, riverbank, alt. 1500 m, 12.ix.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 3♀Royal Natal National Park, Tendele camp, 28°40'46''S: 28°55'13''E, 16– 18.iii.1990, A.E. Whittington (NMSA); 3 ♂ Cathedral Peak Forestry Res., Little ‘Berg Summits, Thermeda grassland, alt. 3500–6000 ft, iii.1959, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1♀Organ Pipes Pass, at summit, Erica Consocies , 9600 ft, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1♀Town Bush, Pietermaritzburg, 27.xii.1961, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 2 ♂ Pietermaritzburg, ix.1953, at light, F. Zumpt (BMNH); 1 ♂ Balgowan, 21.vii.1956, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 1♀Muden, 1.x.1956, B. & P. Stuckenberg (NMSA); 2 ♂ Giant’s Castle Game Res., Injamuti area, SE2929AB, 5–11.xii.1983, J.G.H. Londt (NMSA); 2 ♂ 3♀Weenen, vi–ix, 1934, H.P. Thomasset (BMNH); 1 ♂ 3♀Weenen, 2840 ft, vii–ix.1923, in thorn country, H.P. Thomasset (BMNH); 3 ♂ 2♀Weenen Nat. Res., 28°51'S:29°69'E, 1–4.x.1990, Thornveld, dam & camp, sweep net, A.E. Whittington (NMSA); 2 ♂ same locality and date, Malaise trap (NMSA); 1 ♂ 3♀Midlands, Howick, 29°29'S: 30°13'E, 1060 m, garden vegetation, 14.vii.1990, A.E. Whittington (NMSA); 5 ♂ 6♀Howick, 29°28'40''S: 30°13'20''E, 8.vii.1990, mercury blended light, A.E. Whittington (NMSA); 2 ♂ 3♀same data but 25.viii.1990 (NMSA); 1 ♂ same data but 17.vii.1990 (NMSA). Limpopo: 3 ♂ 2♀Nylsvley Res., Naboomspruit, 24.xi.1976, P. Ferrar (BMNH). Northern Cape: 1 ♂ Lombard Nat. Res., 27°37'S: 25°29'E, 1250 m, 12.iii.1991, sand, Acacia , thornveld, Londt & Whittington (NMSA); 1♀Kuruman, nr Die Ong, 27°29'S: 23°26'E, 1300 m, 13.iii.1991, mercury vapour lamp, Londt & Whittington (NMSA). NAMIBIA: 1♀Windhoek Dist., Windhoek, 2218Cc, alt. 1600 m, 3.xi.1974, sandy river bottom, M.E. Irwin (NMSA). SUDAN: West Darfur: 1 ♂ 3♀Jebel Marra, Killing, 7000 ft, 7.iv.1932, Miss M. Steele (BMNH). UGANDA: 4 ♂ 7♀Mt Elgon, between Butandiga & Bulambuli, 8000 ft, 7.viii.1934, J. Ford (BMNH); 1♀Kigezi dist., Mt Muhavura, 7000 ft, 29.ix.1934, F.W. Edwards (BMNH); 1 ♂ 1♀Mt Elgon, Bulambuli, 9500 ft, viii.1934, J. Ford (BMNH); 1♀Butandiga, 7000 ft, viii.1934, J. Ford (BMNH); 1♀ Ruwenzori Range, Kilembe, 4500 ft, xii.1934 – i.1935, F.W. Edwards (BMNH); 1 ♂ Kigezi, Mafuga Forests, vi.1951, van Someren (BMNH); 1 ♂ Kawanda, 16.i.1958, light-trap, J. Bowden (BMNH). YEMEN: 3♀Jebal Jihaf, 7000 ft, x.1937, H. Scott, E.B. Britton (BMNH); 1 ♂ 1♀same data but 20.ii.1938 (BMNH); 4♀San’a, 7900 ft, 10–15.x.1937, from lucerne, Carl Rathjens (BMNH); 2 ♂ 2♀Ghaiman, 9 mls SE San’a, 8700 ft, 18.ii.1938, near irrigation stream, H. Scott, E.B. Britton (BMNH); 1 ♂ Ertil, 8–10 mls S San’a, 8000 ft, 24.ii.1938, on lucerne, H. Scott, E.B. Britton (BMNH). ZIMBABWE: 3 ♂ 10 km SE of Harare, 19.ii.1997, J.W. Ismay (DMA); 1 ♂ Harare, road to Nat. Botanic Gdns, 14.ii.1997, J.W. Ismay (DMA); 1♀N. Vumba, 5.vii.1965, leg. D. Cookson (NMSA); Salisbury, 5.ii.1963, wheat stem (BMNH); 1♀Domboshava, iii.1932, larvae in stems of rapoko Eleuscine aracorna) with larvae of Hylemyia andersoni Mall. , det. Hylemyia arambourgi Ség. by Emden, 1940 (BMNH); 1 ♀Salisbury, vi.1901, F.L. Snow, 5050 ft. (KUNHM); 1 ♀same locality, v.1901, x.1901 (KUNHM); 2 ♂ same locality, v. & vi.1901, syntypes of Chortophila linearis Adams (KUNHM).

Discussion: In Emden’s key (1941 b: 265) the species keyed out as “ flavibasis Stein ” is bracata . No records are given in this paper. In Emden’s paper on S.W. Arabia (1948: 166) some of the records for flavibasis are correctly named; the records for “ arambourgi ” are partly bracata and partly flavibasis . In Emden’s paper on the Ruwenzori Expedition (1951: 357) the records for “ arambourgi ” refer to flavibasis . Not all of the material listed by Emden in these papers could be found in the BMNH. Those that I could find are listed under material examined for each species.

Life history: Hennig (1974 b: 807–808) states that the larvae of flavibasis live in various species of corn crops, Secale cereale L. (rye) in Morocco ( Séguy 1934); Hordeum vulgare L. (barley) in Morocco (Séguy 1936); Setaria italica (L.) (millet) in Israel (Ackland 1968). The paper by Bullock (1965) on the control and life history of “ arambourgi ” almost certainly refers to D. flavibasis , as he used Emden’s (1941 b) key to identify his material. He mentions H. vulgare as a foodplant in Kenya, and also mentions Penisetum clandestinum Chiov. (kikuyu grass) and Chloris gayana Kunth. (Rhodes grass) in other parts of Africa. Deeming (1971: 174) recorded “ arambourgi ” on Sorghum bicolor L. (sorghum) and Pennisetum typhoides S. & H. (pearl millet) in Nigeria.

Other definite host plant records based on labels of specimens examined during this revision are: barley ( Ethiopia and Kenya), millet ( Nigeria), guinea corn ( Nigeria), and stems of rapoko, Eleuscine coracana L. in Zimbabwe.

Distribution: D. flavibasis is widely distributed in the Afrotropical Region, from Nigeria in the west to Yemen in the east to South Africa; also Madagascar. It has been recorded in the southern areas of the Palaearctic region from Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Canary Isles, Spain (Hennig 1974 b: 808). The records of “ flavibasis ” from Nepal and India ( Ackland 1967: 119) refer to bracata .

Figures

Figs 12–16. Delia flavibasis, male (S. Africa): (12) cercal plate and surstyli; (13) ditto, lateral view; (14) sternites IV–V, ventral view; (15) distiphallus, lateral view; (16) ditto, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs 23–30. Hind femur and arista: (23–28) Hind femora: (23) Delia flavibasis, male; (24) D. arambourgi, male; (25) D. bracata, male; (26) ditto, female; (27) D. urbana, male; (28) ditto, female; (29, 30): Arista, male: (29) D. arambourgi, (30) D. bracata.