Anthomyia verecunda, Ackland, 2001

Ackland, D. M., 2001, Revision of afrotropical Anthomyia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of ten new species, African Invertebrates 42, pp. 1-94 : 16-19

Anthomyia verecunda sp. n.

( Figs 12–20 )

‘ Hylemyia sinensis (Jaennicke) ’. Malloch, 1924: 263.

‘ Hylemyia pullula pullula (Zetterstedt) ’. Emden, 1941 b: 267.

‘ Hylemyia pullula (Zetterstedt) ’. Emden, 1951: 364.

Holotype Ò: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: ‘ Natal / Weenen Nature Reserve / 28 ° 51'S: 29 ° 59'E / Thornveld, dam & camp / 1–4.x.1990, sweep net / A. E. Whittington’ ; ‘ HOLOTYPE Ò / Anthomyia verecunda / Ackland’ [Rectangular red card]. In NMSA. Paratypes: KENYA: 2Ò, Muguga , ix.1969, C. F. Dewhurst ( BMNH) . SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: 1^, Mt. Emlembe, near Havelock mine on Barberton Road , 26 ° 55'S: 31 ° 07'E, 2531CC, 7.xi.1970, Stuckenberg, 1425 m, montane forest & streams ( NMSA) . Gauteng: 1Ò, Johannesburg , 1.v.1950, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality, 24.i.1952, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality, 6.i.1953, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality, 11.i.1953, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 2^, same locality, 15.i.1953, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality, 18.i.1953, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality, 25.ii.1953, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1^, same locality, i.1971, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 2^, Bapsfontein , 25.xi.1954, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) . KwaZulu-Natal: 4Ò1^, Willow Grange, Will Brook , 29.iii.1914, R. C. Wroughton (det. Hylemyia sinensis Jaen. by J. R. Malloch) ( BMNH) ; 5Ò, same data as holotype ( NMSA) ; 3Ò3^, same locality and date but Malaise trap ( NMSA) ; 1^, Weenen , 2840 ft, vi–vii.1923, H. P. Thomasset ( BMNH) ; 2Ò, same locality and captor but xii.1923 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same locality and captor but v.1924 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, Pietermaritzburg , 15.xi.1954, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1^, Newcastle , xii.1952, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1^, Ladysmith , xii.1952, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1^, Umtamvuna Nature Res. , 31 ° 00'06''S:30 ° 10'38'E, forest margin, 450m, 29.x.1990, Whittington ( NMSA) ; 1^, Drakensberg Garden area , 2929CA, 13–14.x.1984, J. G. H. Londt ( NMSA) ; 1Ò, nr. Lilani, Ahrens district , April 1962, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) ; 1Ò, Pietermaritzburg , xi.1960, T. Schofield ( NMSA) ; 1Ò, Giants Castle Res., Drakensberg , 5800 ft, 18– 23.ix.1961, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) . Eastern Cape: 1^, Mountain Zebra Nat. Park , 17–21.xii.1985, 3225AD, Bushveld vegetation, J. G. H. Londt ( NMSA) ; 1^, Otterford Forestry Reserve, Hankey area , 1–10.xii.1967, 3325CC, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) . Western Cape: 1^, #5, Montagu Pass, 3322 Cd, Camfer-George Road , 12.i.1983, SAR Bridge, R. Miller & P. Stabbins ( NMSA) ; 1^, #3, Cogman’s Kloof, 3320 Cc, Ashton-Montagu Road , 11.i.1983, along river, P. Stabbins & R. Miller ( NMSA) ; 1^, Stellenbosch , 8.x.1926, Dr H. Brauns ( NMSA) ; 1^, Outeniqua Pass, George district , 24.x.1964, B. & P. Stuckenburg ( NMSA) ; 1^, Rapenburg, Cape Flats , 1– 4.x.1920, R. E. Turner ( BMNH) ; 1^, Mossel Bay , 5–31.xii.1921, R. E. Turner ( BMNH) ; 1^, same locality, 1.1922, R. E. Turner ( BMNH) ; 2^, Kloof Nek, Cape Town, 1–2, i.1972, Southern Africa Exp. ( BMNH) .

Etymology: L. verecundus = modest, shy. The name verecunda refers to the unobtrusive characters defining this species.

Male: Differs from A. simensis as follows:

Colour: Dusting of whole body more greyish olive; parafrontals with the greyish shifting spot in vibrissal angle often not extending completely to eye margin when viewed in profile. Thorax dusted darker grey, the scutal vittae much less contrasting with the body dusting; median vitta only as wide as space between acrostichal setae; lateral vittae in some specimens less distinct; pleura greyish dusted. Abdomen largely grey dusted over dark ground-colour, with a narrower brown central vitta which is broken into separate triangular spots. Pregenital sclerite contrastingly shining brownish; hypopygium and 5th sternite brownish, rather finely dusted. Wing ( Fig. 20 ) with membrane slightly brownish tinged; with conspicuous but smaller patches of brownish clouding around upper crossvein, lower crossvein clouded along whole length, but the upper junction with M 1+2 not expanded into a circular spot; no indistinct clouding near base of wing between R 4+5 and M 1+2, although the node at base of R is darkened (but not the wing membrane); squamae hardly paler than wing base. Legs brown with mid and hind tibiae lightened orange to yellow medially.

Head: Arista ( Fig. 19 ) longer plumose, total width of hairing about width of first flagellomere.

Thorax: Prealar slightly shorter, about 0.5 times length of posterior notopleural.

Legs: f2 with row of 3–4 pv.

Wing: costa with marginal spinules shorter, about as long as costal diameter; one of the two spinules before distal break differentiated, twice the length of the other costal spinules.

Wing length up to 5.5 mm.

Abdomen: 5th sternite processes ( Fig. 14 ) without long apical setae on their not so divergent apices. Central process of synsternite (6+7) ( Fig. 18 ) broadly wedge-shaped, with only the apical corners narrowly produced. Surstylus ( Figs 12, 13 ) shorter, and less constricted medially in caudal (dorsal) view. Cercal plate only 1.5 times as long as wide, wider in apical third and then abruptly tapering to a narrow apex. Pregonite ( Fig. 16 ) shorter, postgonite of different shape, with the short setula not placed on an extended ventroapical corner. Distal section of aedeagus ( Fig. 17 ) with dorsal margin just distal to the dorsal process without a slight swelling, the dorsal margin gradually curved.

Female: Differs from the female of simensis as follows:

Colour: No clouding on wing membrane near base of wing between R 4+5 and M 1+2, although the node at base of R is darkened (but not the wing membrane); lateral vittae on scutum often hardly visible. Legs, especially mid and hind tibiae and knees extensively orange medially.

Discussion: Compared with simensis , the scutum of verecunda has the dark brown median and lateral vittae less distinct, and the central vitta narrower, outer borders not extending beyond line of acrostichal rows; the lateral stripes do not reach below level of insertion of the prealar seta (but see below). Lower crossvein suffused with brown which is however not so expanded at junction of lower crossvein and M1+2 into a rounded spot; the anterior small dark suffusion on membrane between root of R and M, which is present in simensis , is absent in verecunda . Legs blackish brown, but apical half of t2 and t3 indistinctly orange-yellow translucent, also knees paler.

The two males from Kenya, Muguga (the only record outside South Africa) agree with verecunda in wing markings (no basal suffusion between root of R and M) and have the genitalia of verecunda , especially the central process on synsternite (6+7), but scutal markings approaching simensis (longitudinal vittae on scutum wider and much darker). A. verecunda is very closely related to the Palaearctic confusanea Michelsen, and both species have the same central process on synsternite (6+7); verecunda has a much longer haired arista (total width of hairing equal to width of first flagellomere); parafacials narrower (only half width of first flagellomere); scutal vittae more distinct; pregonite with the distal margin less oblique; distal section of aedeagus apically wider in lateral view, and wing with both crossveins more extensively infuscated.

Distribution: Apart from the specimens from Muguga, all the records of verecunda are from South Africa.

Figures

Figs 12–20.Anthomyia verecunda sp. n. (paratype Ò, Johannesburg, Gauteng).12–18. Terminalia. 12. Cercal plate and surstyli, caudal view. 13. Ditto, lateral view. 14. 5th sternite, ventral view. 15. Ditto, lateral view. 16. Gonites. 17. Distal section of aedeagus. 18. Central process of synsternite (6+7). 19. First flagellomere and arista. 20. Wing.