Aenigmatopoeus orbicularis Schmitz, 1914

Mostovski, Mike B., 2004, New records of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from South Africa, with description of a new species and hitherto unknown males, African Invertebrates 45, pp. 125-125 : 128-129

Aenigmatopoeus orbicularis Schmitz, 1914

Figs 3, 4

Aenigmatopoeus orbicularis Schmitz, 1914: 536, 1951 a: 141 ; Disney & Kistner 1997:3 (key). (Type locality:

Cameroon)

Description: Male. Body brown, palpi, pleura, legs and anal tube yellowish brown. Frons evenly convex and covered with hairs, with only one pair of short sant and oc that however differ well from adjacent hairs. Third antennal segment almost semiglobular, arista almost apical. Palpus clearly less than 3 times as long as wide, with 3 strong apical and 1 weak ventromedial bristle, which is almost 0.5 times as long as apical ones; additionally, palpus with numerous hairs or spinules ventrally or ventrolaterally and fine pubescence dorsally ( Fig. 3 ). All bristle­like hairs on labella equally long. Each side of thorax with 2 ppl, 3 npl, 1 sa, 1 pa, 1 psc, all weak. Mesopleuron with hairs in its upper half and one long bristle in its posterior corner. Scutellum with three pairs of long and strong bristles. Wing length 1.70–1.74 mm. Costal index 0.51–0.53, costal ratios 0.68–0.79:1. Sc discernible at the very base only. R 1 intensely coloured and bordered with pigmented membrane in its distal two thirds so it looks thickened. Rs without seta at base.Axillary ridge without bristles.All veins brown and bordered with pigmented membrane, wing membrane brownish yellow, with subcostal cell being little darker. Haltere brown. Ventral bristle on fore metatarsus inserted at its mid­length. Mid tibia with two hair palisades and posterodorsal row of 6–7 differentiated bristle­like hairs, most apical of which clearly longer and stronger; no bristles in isolated bristles in basal half. Hind tibia with three hair palisades, viz. straight dorsal one and two anterodorsal palisades fusing together in distal third, and posterodorsal row of 6– 10 bristles or differentiated bristle­like hairs.Abdominal tergites with scattered short hairs, hairs on tergite 6 longer, especially in its distal half. Abdominal venter bare. Epandrium clearly longer than high ( Fig. 4 ). Posterior margin of left side of epandrium with deep incision, its posteroventral corner forming broad lobe; bristles restricted to its dorsal edge and posterior margin. Inner lobe of left side of epandrium developed as small beak­like process with 3 minute spinules. Bristles on right side of epandrium at most as strong as those on anal tube. Anal tube 4.5 times as long as thick at its base.

Comparison: The male of this species differs from both Ae. cucullatus and Ae. kohli in having much shorter palps with only three strong apical bristles, only three pairs of strong scutellars, distinctly concave posterior margin of the left side of the epandrium, and a different pattern of setation on it. Additionally, it differs from Ae. cucullatus in having only one pair of sant, and from Ae. kohli in the first costal section being somewhat shorter, noticeable pigmentation of the wing membrane, slightly elongated epandrium and anal tube, well developed lower lobe of the left side of the epandrium, shorter hairs on the right side of the epandrium, and in having very short beak­like inner lobe of the left side of the epandrium bearing only minute spinules.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: 1 _, Himeville , 3–5.iii.2004, Malaise trap, V . Kolyada & M. Mostovski; 1 _, Impendle, Nhlosane Farm (29º35'S: 29º58'E), 1700–1900 m, 24.xi–8.xii.1993, pitfalls, J. Kotze; 1 _, Pietermaritzburg, Hilton (29º32'30.7"S: 30º18'18.4"E), 1131 m, 27.ix–13.x.2003, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski; 2 _ 2^, Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush, v.1976, Malaise trap, R . Miller; 1^, Cumberland Nature Reserve (29º30.8'S: 30º30.3'E), 11.iv–8.v.2004, Malaise trap in gorge near stream, M. Mostovski & C. Conway; 1 _, Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary (30º53.3'S: 30º20.4'E), 9.viii–2.ix.2004, Malaise trap near stream, M. Mostovski ( NMSA) .

Distribution: Cameroon, South Africa. This is the first record of this species in South Africa.

Remarks: The female collected in the Cumberland Nature Reserve is mature, and two large eggs (0.67 mm long) have been observed inside her abdomen.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Morphological details of Aenigmatopoeus males. 1, 2. Ae. kohli Schmitz. 1. Left palpus, dorsal view. 2. Epandrium, left side. 3, 4. Ae. orbicularis Schmitz. 3. Left palpus, dorsal view. 4. Epandrium, left side. Scale bar 0.1 mm.