Gymnochiromyia maraisi, Ebejer, 2008

Ebejer, M. J., 2008, New species of Gymnochiromyia Hendel, 1933 (Diptera: Schizophora: Chyromyidae) from Southern Africa, African Invertebrates 49 (1), pp. 77-77 : 94-95

Gymnochiromyia maraisi sp. n.

Figs 2b , 12 , 13

Etymology: Named in honour of Eugene Marais, who collected the species in Namibia.

Diagnosis: A pale yellow species with an outward appearance very similar to maculiventris , but the hypopygium is similar to stuckenbergi ; the male has a brown spot on the ep and females have a brown spot in the midline only on tg 7; acrs in 6–8 irregular rows at the level of the transverse suture, mtn yellow.

Description:

Male.

Head: All yellow except for some darkening in the middle of oc triangle; oc red ringed with black; fr narrow, at level of anterior oc equal to width of eye viewed from above and at level of antenna half width of that at level of anterior ocellus; in profile, fr protruding slightly just above antennae and visible at level of oc triangle; scattered upon it are about 10 very short and fine pale yellow setulae. Gena recessed so that it is distinctly narrower in front than behind; below middle of eye it is about 0.9 height of eye; gena yellow with very pale setulae; isolated lower post-genal seta short and pale, but distinct. Mouthparts all yellow; palp short somewhat spatulate; setulae of oral margin relatively long especially 2 just below vibrissal angle. Face depressed, with low linear carina. Antenna with both second and third segments equally pale yellow, second with distinct short pale seta dorsally; third segment round, finely pubescent: hairs a little shorter than diameter of arista at base; arista except for first segment black, clearly though finely pubescent. Chaetotaxy: 3 equally long orb, oc divergent and proclinate and about 0.75 length of posterior orb, pvt relatively long and crossed and about 0.5 length of vte and, vti which are the longest setae on head; postocular setulae relatively long, but sparse and in 1 regular row.

Thorax: Entirely pale yellow, only msn a little deeper yellow in colour and unstriped; mtn clear yellow. Chaetotaxy: 1 hu with 2 setulae adjacent, 1 psthu, 2 ntpl, 1 sa, 1 pa, 2 dc decreasing in size from back to front, acrs in 6–8 irregular rows at transverse suture; 2 short but distinct prescutellar acrs; 1 mspl, 1 stpl, both with long white setulae in front.

Wing: Hyaline, veins all pale yellow, distance on costal margin between R 2+3 to R 4+5 is 0.8 that between R 4+5 and M 1+2; distance between crossveins about 0.8 length of apical section of Cu. Haltere yellow.

Legs: Not modified except for slightly thicker fore and hind femora; generally fine yellow setulae scattered on all pairs of legs and in addition longer setae present on fore femur.

Abdomen: All tg and st yellow and with pale brown setae, which on dorsum only about 1/3 length of tg.

Postabdomen: ep with small oval brown spot on middle third of posterior surface; cerci small pale and finely setulose; surs long, strongly angled, with rough anteroventral margin; hyp broad and short; ph apd normal; ej apd distinct with its broad tubular connection to basiphallus clearly visible though translucent; prg broad at base,narrowing distally to truncate end and setulose on outer surface below, psg not identified, distiphallus large and complex, more or less globular relatively symmetrical and at apex, within the circular outline, when viewed from in front a distinct tubular structure is evident.

Female.

As in male except for secondary sexual characters, but with the following additional differences: fr setulae brown, abdomen with dull brown spot in middle of tg 7; setae and setulae on abdomen darker than in male. Postabdomen ( Fig. 13 ) with paired sclerites of st 8 close to each other and each with the medial margin distinctly curved.

Length: ♂ 1.5 mm, wing 1.6 mm; ♀1.7 mm, wing 2.0 mm.

Variation: Females are remarkably uniform.

Holotype: ♂ NAMIBIA: Brandberg District : Brandberg, Mason Shelter, 21º04'39"S: 14º05'43"E, 05– 14.iii.2002, 1750 m, Malaise trap, riverbed, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais ( NMNW).

Paratypes: NAMIBIA: 3♀same data and depository; 1♀same data (NMC); 1♀same data ( NMSA) ; 1 ♂ 1♀Brandberg , below Wasserfallfläche, 21º10'43"S: 14º32'51"E, 18–22.iii.2001, McPhail trap baited with NU lure & mono-ethylene glycol, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais ( NMNW) .

Figures

Fig. 2. Gymnochiromyia, posterior aspect of ep, semidiagrammatic, with setae omitted and cerci in outline: (a) gilva sp. n., (b) maraisi sp. n., (c) setulosa sp. n., (d) balteata sp. n., (e) maculiventris sp. n., (f) punctata Ebejer.

Figs 11, 12. Male hypopygia, lateral aspect: (11) G. malagasica sp. n., (12) G. maraisi sp. n. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 13. G. maraisi sp. n., female postabdomen, ventral (a) and lateral (b) views, and (c) spermatheca, enlarged. Scale bar = 0.15 mm.