Atherigona (Atherigona) australis Deeming, 2024

Deeming, John C. & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2024, A contribution to the knowledge of Namibian Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies, Zootaxa 5536 (4), pp. 501-535 : 506

Atherigona (Atherigona) australis Deeming , sp. nov.

Figs 1–4

Etymology: The specific epithet australis is a noun in apposition, from the Latin, meaning “southern” and refers to the austral distribution of the species.

Description: Male. Body length: ca 3.0 mm, wing length: 3.2 mm. All setae and setulae black, aside from setulae clothing truncate apex of palpus.

Head: Colouration black, creamy white on face and anterior part of gena, frontal vitta black, slightly paler on fore margin, fronto-orbital plate creamy white; ocellar triangle and postocular strip pale grey, occiput with more weakly and darker pruinescence; frontofacial angle ca 90°; anterior three orbital setae proclinate, fourth inclinate, fifth reclinate; clypeus and sclerites of proboscis shiny black; antenna with scape and pedicel ferruginous, postpedicel and arista black; palpus yellow.

Thorax: With black and grey pruinescence, apart from postpronotal lobe, lower 1 / 2 of metanotum shiny, propleuron and anterior spiracle yellow; scutum without darker lines along dorsocentral setae; proepisternum with one moderate seta and setula, this latter longer than two minute proepimeral setulae; weak lower katepisternal seta inserted slightly nearer to more posterior of two dorsal setae. Legs: Yellow, fore tibia apically weakly infuscate, fore basitarsus black; fore femur with strong preapical posteroventral seta and row of 3–4 weak posterodorsal setae; fore tarsus without specialised chaetotaxy; mid femur with well-developed posterior preapical seta; hind tibia with usual anterodorsal, anteroventral and posterodorsal setae short and widely spaced. Wing: Membrane hyaline, veins yellow; radial–medial crossvein (r–m) slightly basad to mid-point of discal medial cell (dm); veins R 4+5 and M 1 slightly convergent towards wing tip; calypters whitish with yellow rims; haltere yellow.

Abdomen: Colouration yellow, tergite 3 with pair of long, incurved black markings; tergite 4 with pair of much smaller oval maculae; hypopygial prominence ( Figs 3, 4 ), with raised pilosity dorsally; trifoliate process ( Figs 1, 2 ), with all lobes black, lateral lobes without flanges on inner surfaces, becoming yellow basally, stem pale, 31 / 2 × as long as median lobe.

Female: Unknown.

Affinities. As the hypopygial prominence is weakly indented on the medial line it could be considered as being either bifurcate or knob-like, according to one’s personal interpretation. Since the apical indentation is so shallow, it is here regarded as the knob-like category. Taking all factors into consideration, its nearest congener is likely A. (s. str.) steeleae Emden, 1940 .

Type material examined: Holotype ♂, “ Namibia: Rundu Dist. / Katara Okavango R. / 17°48'56''S 18°53'38''E / 20–23.i.1998 / [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais / malaise traps [printed] // Namibian National / Insect Collection / National Museum / P.O. Box 1203 / Windhoek, Namibia [printed; blue card] // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Atherigona (s. str.) / australis sp. nov. / J.C. Deeming 2024 [printed; red border]” ( NMNW; type series #661). In good condition, micro-pinned and staged; dissected, male terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen . Paratypes [all labelled: “ PARATYPE ♂ / Atherigona (s. str.) / australis sp. nov. / J.C. Deeming 2024 [printed; blue border]”: 1♂, “ Namibia: Opuwa Distr., Ekuju / village: Kunene R. / 17°19'30''S 13°48'56''E / 11–12.x.1999 / [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs [T.] Pape [W.] Hauwanga / Malaise trap, riverine forest”; 1♂, “ Namibia: SKELETON COAST / PARK / Kunene River mouth / 17°15'97''S 11°46'83''E [= 17°15.97'S 11°46.83'E] / 10.ii.1998 / E. Marais / Malaise trap sample”; 3♂, “ Namibia: WEST CAPRIVI Pk. / Susuwe: Kwando R. / 17°45'54''S 23°21'10''E / 20–21.x.1999 / [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs [T.] Pape [W.] Hauwanga”; 1♂, Namibia: “WEST CAPRIVI PK. / Kwando River Susuwe / 17°45'37''S 23°20'55''E, 28.ix–02.x.1998 / A. H. Kirk-Spriggs / Malaise trap dry woodland” (all NMNW; type series #661).

Figures

FIGURES 1–23. Male terminalia of Atherigona spp. (1–4) A. (s. str.) australis Deeming, sp. nov. 1. Trifoliate process, dorsal view. 2. Same, lateral view. 3. Hypopygial prominence, dorsal view. 4. Same, lateral view. (5–8). A. (s. str.) maraisi Deeming, sp. nov. 5. Trifoliate process, dorsal view. 6. Same, lateral view. 7. Hypopygial prominence, dorsal view. 8. Same, lateral view. (9–12). A. (s. str.) mulleri Deeming, sp. nov. 9. Trifoliate process, dorsal view. 10. Same, lateral view. 11. Hypopygial prominence, dorsal view. 12. Same, lateral view. (13–16). A. (s. str.) jordaensi Magoai & Muller. 13. Trifoliate process, dorsal view. 14. Same, lateral view. 15. Hypopygial prominence, dorsal view. 16. Same, lateral view. (17–20). A. (s. str.) robertsi okavango Deeming, ssp. nov. 17. Trifoliate process, dorsal view. 18. Same, lateral view. 19. Hypopygial prominence, dorsal view. 20. Same, lateral view. (21). A. (s. str.) fumivenosa Deeming, trifoliate process, lateral view. (22). A. (Acritochaeta) tsumeb Deeming, sp. nov., cercal plate, ventral view. (23). Atherigona (Acritochaeta) yorki ssp. yorki Deeming, epandrium and surstyli, left oblique view. All not to scale. Abbreviations: epand—epandrium; sp—spines; sur—surstylus.