Fainia albitarsis (Macquart, 1846)

Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna, Villet, Martin H., Martinez-Sanchez, Anabel & Rojo, Santos, 2023, South African nose flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Rhiniinae): taxonomy, diversity, distribution and biology, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 72764-72764 : 72764

Fainia albitarsis (Macquart, 1846)

= Idia albitarsis Macquart, 1846: 321. Type locality: South Africa, Cafreria.

= Idia eupoda Loew, 1852: 660 [1862: 24]. Type locality: Mozambique, Inhambane.

= Idia extensa Walker, 1858: 211. Type locality: South Africa, Port Natal [= Durban].

= Fainia sambura Lehrer, 2008: 16. Type locality: Kenya, Taita Hills, 1000-2000 m, Wyundani Rd., 3 º 24'S 38 º 23'E.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo,?Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa (Fig. 1 ), Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Notes

Preferred environment: Afromontane forests, sand forests, dry scrub forest, open savannah/grassland, coastal bush and Ficus L. forest. In Namibia, a single specimen was reported from the Arid Savannah Biome ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Additionally collected in lowland rain forest in Tanzania, dry forest in Kenya and lowland evergreen secondary forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recorded elevations: 10-1750 m a.s.l. Seasonality: a common and abundant species, collected year-round, most abundant during the warmer months, peaking in December and less abundant between March and October. In Namibia, a single specimen was caught in December ( Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs 2006). Behaviour and ecology: associated with flowers in wild and rural environments. One male collected on Cassine L. flowers in the Drakensberg area (KwaZulu-Natal). Attracted to freshly-turned soil. Many males were observed and caught hovering in groups at the Amatigulu Nature Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal). Reported also in Zimbabwe as a flower-frequenting fly (as Stomatorhina albitarsis (Macquart) and as Stomorhina extensa (Walker)) ( Cuthbertson 1933, Cuthbertson 1934). Life cycle and developmental stages: unknown. Collection methods: more often with Malaise traps, followed by sweeping. Some specimens labelled as reared/ex Malaise trap, but without other details. Tanzanian and Kenyan specimens were collected by sweeping and Malaise and pitfall traps. Illustrations and photographs: male habitus as in Fig. 2 and figs. 5A-L in Thomas-Cabianca et al. (2021). Male terminalia as in fig. 8 in Peris (1952b), fig. 27 in Zumpt (1958) and figs. 6A-H in Thomas-Cabianca et al. (2021).

Material examined: Suppl. materials 1, 2.

Figures

Figure 1. Fainia albitarsis occurrence map in South Africa, including eSwatini (eSw) and Lesotho (Le); horizontal axis longitude east and vertical axis latitude south.

Figure 2. Habitus, left lateral view of Fainia albitarsis male SAMC DIP A 015190 from South Africa. Scale bar = 2 mm.