Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tunisiae, Whitmore, Daniel, 2011

Whitmore, Daniel, 2011, New taxonomic and nomenclatural data on Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with description of six new species, Zootaxa 2778, pp. 1-57 : 15-17

Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tunisiae sp. nov.

( Figs 36–41 )

Type material. Holotype 3: TUNISIA / Tabarka / 24.iii.1986 / Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp. // [red label] HOLO- TYPE 3 / Sarcophaga / ( Heteronychia ) / tunisiae sp. n. / det. D. Whitmore 2010 ( ZMUC). Paratypes: 4 3: same data as holotype ( ZMUC) [2 with terminalia removed and coated for analysis with SEM]; 1 3: Tunisia, Tabarka area, 7–18.V.1988, Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp. ( ZMUC); 2 3: Tunisia, Tabarka, Nefza-Zouaraa, beach & foredunes, 20.III.2001, P. Gatt leg. ( PGC); 1 3: Tunisia, Tabarka, Oued Berkoukech, dunes, 31.III.2007, P. Gatt leg. ( PGC).

Diagnosis (3). A medium-sized species of Heteronychia with a conspicuously protruding and wide frons, wide parafacial and high gena; lower facial margin not visible in lateral view; scutellum lacking apical setae; wing vein R1 bare on dorsal surface; costal spine strongly developed; abdomen with dense grey microtrichosity forming a large maculate pattern in posterior view; abdominal tergite 3 without median marginal setae; epandrium red to dark red; cercus stout with a low, rounded dorsal subapical hump; distiphallus: apical process of harpes long tapering and directed apico-laterally; juxta short, without lateral processes; vesica well visible in lateral view.

Description (3). Length. 6.5−10.5mm. Colour. Ground colour black, with dense silvery-grey microtrichosity on parafacials, fronto-orbital plate, thorax and abdomen. Thorax with three longitudinal dark vittae; microtrichosity of abdomen forming typical chequered pattern changing with the incidence of light, black markings on tergites 3−4 becoming reduced when viewed posteriorly (forming large spots with somewhat blurred edges). Protandrial segment with a small patch of microtrichosity near margin, sometimes reduced to a strip; epandrium red to dark red, sometimes conspicuously darkened ventrally. Cercus shiny black; surstylus, phallus and gonites dark brown. Head ( Fig. 36 ). Arista thickened on approximately basal 1/3. Postpedicel ca. 1.8–2.0 times as long as pedicel. Frons strongly protruding in lateral view; wide, at its narrowest point about 0.6–0.8 times the width of an eye in dorsal view. Lateral vertical setae strongly developed, well differentiated from postocular setae. Parafacial at its narrowest point about 0.25–0.55 times eye width. Lower facial margin not visible in lateral view. Gena in profile about 0.4– 0.6 times height of eye; postgena entirely covered with white setulae. Occipital setulae white below the first two rows. Thorax. Scutum with 2–3 (short, unarranged) + 0 acrostichal (prescutellar pair not developed, if present then very fine, almost hair-like), 4 + 3 dorsocentral, 1 posthumeral (rarely a weak outer seta present), 1 presutural, 4 notopleural, 2 intraalar and 3–4 supraalar setae. Scutellum without apical setae (rarely a single seta present); discal setae situated quite close to margin and relatively close to each other. Legs. Mid femur without a subapical posteroventral comb. Mid tibia with 2–3 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal, 1 dorsal and 1 anteroventral setae. Hind trochanter with a ventral brush of tightly-spaced, spine-like setae. Hind femur with 2–3 anteroventral setae in addition to subapical one. Hind tibia with 1–2 anteroventral setae; hind tibia without wavy setulae on posteroventral surface. Wing. Costal spine strongly developed. Vein R1 bare on dorsal surface. Second costal section shorter than fourth costal section. Abdomen. Tergite 3 without median marginal setae (at most with a pair of appressed setae slightly stronger than surrounding ones). Terminalia. Setae on sternite 5 thickened and shortened, forming a tight brush-like structure; marginal setae visibly longer. Protandrial segment with an irregular row of weak setulae along posterior margin. Epandrium with an elongated ventral margin. Cercus ( Fig. 37 ) stout, with an elongated, low subapical hump and a lateral bare patch in upper half extending to level of apex of surstylus; tip slightly downcurved, tapering, with a slightly convex dorsal surface. Surstylus ( Fig. 37 ) subtriangular. Pregonite ( Fig. 38 ) with an undulate ventral surface, with numerous long, fine setulae on dorsal surface except on tip; tip blunt, tapering, curved ventrally. Distiphallus ( Figs 39–40 ): membrane swollen, protruding beyond harpes in lateral view; proximal part of harpes only slightly protruding in lateral view, with a slightly concave (almost flat) inner surface and continuous with distal part; apical process flattened, tapering and directed latero-apically; juxta short, without lateral processes, distinctly narrowing apically; apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 41 ) a simple, subrectangular lobe with short, rounded lateral processes; lateral styli apically truncate; vesica subrectangular with rounded corners, well visible in lateral view ( Fig. 39 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Tunisia.

Etymology. The name refers to the country of origin of the new species.

Differential diagnosis. Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tunisiae sp. nov. is strongly characterized by the protruding frons, high gena, and morphology of cercus and distiphallus; it shows no obvious affinities with other known species of Heteronychia , except with S. (H.) siciliana and S. (H.) hellenica in the shape of the juxta.

Figures

FIGURES 36 – 41. Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) tunisiae sp. nov., paratypes from Tunisia, Tabarka (ZMUC). 36. Head, scale bar 0.5 mm. 37. Cercus and surstylus, scale bar 0.25 mm. 38. Gonites, scale bar 0.1 mm. 39. Distiphallus (lateral), scale bar 0.1 mm (arrow showing vesica). 40. Distiphallus (apical), scale bar 0.05 mm. 41. Juxta (dorsal), scale bar 0.05 mm.