Aenigmatopoeus kohli Schmitz, 1915

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 : 127-128

Aenigmatopoeus kohli Schmitz, 1915

Figs 1, 2

Aenigmatopoeus kohli Schmitz, 1915: 487, 1951 a: 141 , fig. VII; Borgmeier 1963: 468; Disney & Kistner

1997: 3 (key). (Type locality: Congo)

Description: Male. Body generally dark brown or with weak reddish tint, palpi, pleura, legs and hypopygium greyish brown, basal half of hind femur and anal tube paler. Frons evenly convex and covered with hairs, with only one pair of short sant and very short oc that barely differ from adjacent hairs. Third antennal segment onion­shaped or almost semiglobular, arista almost apical. Palpus over 3 times as long as wide, with 3 apical and 1 ventromedial bristle, which is almost as strong as apical ones; additionally, palpus with numerous hairs or spinules ventrally or ventrolaterally and fine pubescence

2

4

dorsally ( Fig. 1 ). Each labellum with 2 bristle­like hairs laterally and one noticeably longer apical hair. 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 four pairs of strong bristles. Wing length 1.4–1.66 mm. Costal index 0.49–0.53, costal ratios 0.8–0.92:1. Sc not discernible. R 1 not noticeably thickened. Rs without seta at base. Axillary ridge without bristles. All veins greyish brown, wing membrane almost not coloured or slightly greyish. Haltere brown. Ventral bristle on fore metatarsus inserted in distal half of segment. Mid tibia with two hair palisades and posterodorsal row of 5–6 differentiated subequal bristle­like hairs; additionally, one short and weak anterior bristle present in basal third. Hind tibia with three hair palisades, viz. straight dorsal one and two anterodorsal palisades fusing together in distal quarter or distal third, and posterodorsal row of 8–9 differentiated bristle­like hairs.Abdominal tergites with scattered short hairs, hairs on tergite 6 longer. Abdominal venter bare. Epandrium approximately as long as high ( Fig. 2 ). Posterior margin of left side of epandrium not concave, its posteroventral corner forming narrow lobe; bristles confined to its posterodorsal quarter. Inner lobe of left side of epandrium well developed, with broad base and attenuated distal part, with three bristles, which are subequal to those on left side of epandrium. Bristles on right side of epandrium clearly as strong as those on anal tube. Anal tube 4 times as long as thick at its base.

Comparison: It differs from the only previously known male of Ae. cucullatus in having only one pair of sant (several in Ae. cucullatus), non­clavate and shorter palps, eight almost equally developed scutellar bristles (the anterior pair of scutellars is weak in Ae. cucullatus), and slightly longer first costal section (0.8–0.92:1 vs. 0.77: 1 in Ae. cucullatus); in contrast to the former species, the left side of epandrium of Ae. kohli has relatively straight posterior margin and weakly developed lower lobe.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 2 _ 2^, 10 km SE Vanrhynsdorp , 3118DA, along river, 14.x.1977, Malaise trap, R . M. Miller; KwaZulu­Natal: 2 _, Himeville , 3–5.iii.2004, Malaise trap, V . Kolyada & M. Mostovski; 1 _, Southern Drakensberg, Sani Pass (29º37'S: 29º23'E), 2–5.iii.2004, Malaise trap, V . Kolyada & M. Mostovski ( NMSA) .

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

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.