Allodia drakensbergensis Magnussen, 2018

Magnussen, Trude, Kjaerandsen, Jostein, Johnsen, Arild & Søli, Geir E. E., 2018, Six new species of Afrotropical Allodia (Diptera: Mycetophilidae): DNA barcodes indicate recent diversification with a single origin, Zootaxa 4407 (3), pp. 301-320 : 308-309

Allodia drakensbergensis Magnussen sp. nov.

( Fig. 4 )

Diagnostic characters. A. drakensbergensis can best be separated from the other species described here, based on the following combination of characters: Rm about 1.5 times as long as stem of the posterior fork; the dorsal lobe of gonostylus is similar to A. nyeriensis , A. mazumbaiensis and A. keurbosensis ; the median lobe most similar to A. keurbosensis , but with fewer setae on the ventral margin and the shape of ventral lobe differs from A. keurbosensis ( Fig. 10 ); the basal part of the gonostylus is different from all the other species ( Fig. 4C ).

Type material. Holotype ♂. South Africa : Northern Drakensberg , KwaZulu-Natal, Royal Natal National Park , Gudu forest (28.6691°S, 28.9188°E, 1630–1730 masl), sweep net, old-growth indigenous forest. 29 Nov. 2005. TSZD-JKJ-104243. Leg. M. Jaschhof. (TMU).

Measurements. Male: body length 4.44 mm; wing length 3.33 mm.

Coloration. Head and clypeus brown. Mouthparts and palpomeres whitish yellow. Antennae brown, with scape, pedicel and first half of first flagellomere whitish yellow. Scutum brown. Lateral sclerites brown. Wings clear without markings. Halteres whitish at basis, brown on club. Legs whitish. Abdomen brown. Terminalia yellowish brown.

Head. Two ocelli, located close to eye margin. Head covered with fine trichia, except for row of about 7 short bristles near eye margin, above ocellus. Antennae just over twice as long as thorax. Scape and pedicel with several setae on distal third. Flagellomeres cylindrical, densely clothed with fine trichia. First flagellomere twice as long as scape.

Thorax. Antepronotum with 5 strong setae. Scutum covered with uniform small, pale setae, with strong lateral prealar and postalar setae. Discal bristles absent. Scutellum without strong bristles. Laterotergite with 3 long and 3 minute setae. Other lateral sclerites bare.

Legs. Fore-, mid and hind tibia with short setae arranged in rows. Mid tibia with 14 anterodorsal and 26 posterodorsal bristles on distal 3/4 of segment. Hind tibia with 8 anterodorsal and 9 posterodorsal bristles.

Wings. Sc short, ending in R, rm 1.5 times as long as stem of posterior fork, base of anterior fork slightly before base of posterior fork. R1 and R5 with setae, absent at basis of veins.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 4 ). Tergite 9 medially divided, each part rounded, covered by minute trichia, with one strong bristle, two shorter bristles and three setae. Cerci clothed with fine trichia, with long setae apically and some medially, pseudocerci with several long setae medially and apically. Dorsal lobe of gonostylus oblong, apex rounded with small, round membranous area internally; outer surface with several strong setae. Median lobe with slightly curved posteroventral corner; 7 strong and 2 shorter setae on posterior margin, one seta on interior surface; one long seta on ventral side, about one third of total distance from posterior side. Ventral lobe distinctly club- shaped, with 8 setae apically. Basal part of gonostylus with two bulbous structures of equal size, dorsal structure with 5 long setae, ventral structure with about 8 stout setae ( Fig. 4C ). Hypandrial lobe elongated, with strong sclerotized lateral apodemes ( Fig. 4A ).

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Remarks. The specimen has become pale after years of storage in ethanol. Measurements were made on specimen in ethanol.

Figures

FIGURE 4. THe MALe TeRMINALIA OF A. drakensbergensis. A, LeFT: DORSAL VIeW, RIGHT: VeNTRAL VIeW; B, GONOSTYLUS FROM INNeR SIDe;C, BASAL PART OF GONOSTYLUS.SCALe bAR = 1µM.

FIGURE10. VARIATION beTWeeN AFROTROPICAL Allodia, GONOSTYLUS FROM INNeR SIDe.A, A.nyeriensis; B, A.mazumbaiensis; C, A. drakensbergensis; D, A.keurbosensis; E, A.jaschhofi; F, A. karkloofensis. SCALe bAR = 1µM.