Opacifrons dilatata, Papp, 2012

Papp, L., 2012, Five New Afrotropical Species Of Opacifrons (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (2), pp. 121-143 : 129-132

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5735739
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039187E2-FB0B-FFF1-D315-FBC5FCBBF9CE
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Opacifrons dilatata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Opacifrons dilatata View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 17–24 View Figs 17–24 )

Holotype male ( HNHM): RSA: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, Garden Castle, along Mlambonja River , Jan 22, GPS21, S29° 44’ 59.4” E29° 12’ 42.1”, 1811 m, No. 33, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI. GoogleMaps

Paratypes ( HNHM, several males and a female with abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial each with glycerol): Republic of South Africa, 2007: 8 males 1 female: same as for holotype; 3 males: Eastern Cape, Lottering River , on riverside vegetation, Jan 14, GPS15 , S33° 58’ 22.2” E23° 44’ 49.8”, 225 m, No. 22, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI; 1 male: Eastern Cape, in a forest nr R102 , Jan 15–16, GPS19 GoogleMaps , S33° 56’ 57.3” E23° 36’ 20.8”, 224 m, No. 25, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI; 1 male: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, roadside ruderalia nr Lime Farm, Jan 21, GPS23 GoogleMaps , S29° 49’ 47.9” E29° 19’ 36.9”, 1711 m, No. 30, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI; 1 male: KwaZulu Natal, S Drakensberg, Himeville, Thomas Str., on compost and fallen fruits, Jan 22, GPS 25 GoogleMaps , S29° 44’ 36.6” E29° 30’ 49.5”, 1541 m, No. 35, M. FÖLDVÁRI & L. PAPP; 1 female: Eastern Cape, Hogsback, 39 Steps Waterfall, Jan 7–8, GPS06 GoogleMaps , S32° 35’ 22.8” E26° 55’ 57.5”, 1233 m, No. 4, leg. M. FÖLDVÁRI & L. PAPP; 2 males: KwaZulu Natal, N Drakensberg, along eNdumeni River, on sedge and on mud, Jan 31, 2007 GoogleMaps , No. 45, leg. L. PAPP; 1 male: Eastern Cape, Bloukrans Pass , in a side valley, Jan 14–16, GPS16 , S33° 57’ 09.6” E23° 37’ 59.4”, 70 m, No. 23, leg. M. FÖLDVÁRI & L. PAPP. Ethiopia: 2 males 2 females: Ethiopia, unknown locality, leg. DEMETER 1979–80; 1 male: ibid., Indibir, 30. XI. 1980 GoogleMaps .

Measurements in mm: body length 1.70 (holotype), 1.41–1.81 (paratypes), wing length 1.70

(holotype), 1.45 –1.88 (paratypes), wing width 0.69 (holotype), 0.62 –0.75 (paratypes).

17, 19, 0.1 mm for Figs 18, 20–24 View Figs 17–24

A species close to O. compacta . Body dark grey, incl. all the frons, facial plate and fore coxa. Mesonotum moderately shiny.

All the (post)frons and facial plate (prefrons) dark grey. Facial plate shiny. 4 pairs of rather long interfrontal setae, last but one seta 0.09 mm long. Genal seta (close to mouth margin) 0.15 mm. Gena 0.08 mm broad below eye, longest diameter of eye 0.24 mm. Aristal cilia shorter, 0.02 mm, cilia on first flagellomere 0.02 mm or slightly longer. Arista 0.53 mm long.

Prealar callus not very high (much lower than in O. compacta ). Prescutellar acrostichal pair 0.11 mm. Acrostichals rather long but irregularly placed and scattered. Dorsocentral microchaeta just anterior to posterior dorsocentral seta enlarged, 0.11 mm long.

Wing rather long, grey, moderately shiny, veins light brown. Sub-basal costal seta c. 0.12 mm long. Costal index 0.91, 0.82–0.92 (paratypes). Inter-crossvein section of M 0.17 mm, M-M crossvein 0.09 mm. Vein M 3+4 with a distinct lower continuation distally to discal cell; pigmented part longer than M-M. Alula liguliform, apex narrowly rounded.

Male mid femur with some (not a row of) posteroventral setae on basal half only. Anteroventral row of thorns of mid tibia complete, posteroventrals not developed (normal setae there). Anterodorsal setae on mid tibia at 10/37, 29/37 (large), a more anteral at 25/37, a posterodorsal aeta at 24/37. Mid ventral basitarsal seta 0.06 mm. Hind basitarsus and 2nd tarsomere as in O. subserrata sp. n.. Claws normal.

Sternite 5 ( Fig. 17 View Figs 17–24 ) with a broad round medio-caudal emargination but without caudal processes; medial caudal part with 4 short setae, whose bases are structured ( Fig. 18 View Figs 17–24 ). Postabdominal sclerites (synsternite with “right-side sclerites”, Fig. 19 View Figs 17–24 ) with sternite 6 part rather broad (reaching far towards the right) and thin, sternite 7 part small and narrowed medially, sternite 8 part less long than in O. compacta sp. n.. Right side sclerites seem less sclerotised. Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 23 View Figs 17–24 , covered) smaller. Modified cerci (or, cercal part of epandrial complex, Fig. 23 View Figs 17–24 ) with 2 pairs of long thin narrow (lath-shaped) pegs (0.055 long), rather protruding and therefore, easily lost, their bases are shown on Fig. 23 View Figs 17–24 . That is, this species is with cercal pegs. Surstylus ( Fig. 21 View Figs 17–24 ) narrowed in its apical half with a caudal subapical peg (thick blunt thorn) with medium long setae caudally but with short setae cranially (anteriorly). Phallus large, distiphallus ( Fig. 24 View Figs 17–24 ) rather flat and much dilated apically. Distiphallus with a long flat and broad basal (caudal) extension ( Fig. 20 View Figs 17–24 ), which reaches epiphallus base. Basiphallus robust. Postgonite ( Fig. 22 View Figs 17–24 ) robust but rather long (definitely longer than 0.1 mm), apically curved.

Female cercal pegs rather similar to those of O. compacta sp. n., although the extruded thin apical part seems less curved.

Etymology. This new species is named after its very much dilated distiphallus.

Remark. I much prefer to prepare paratypes rather than holotypes whenever numerous paratypes are available. However, in the particular case with closely related species, the only safe solution was to prepare the holotype.

Opacifrons rubrifrons ( VANSCHUYTBROECK, 1950) View in CoL

( Figs 25–31 View Figs 25–31 )

Limosina (Opacifrons) rubrifrons VANSCHUYTBROECK, 1950: 57 View in CoL .

Material studied. Holotype male ( IRSN): 1) m; 2) Tshikay , Zaire, 21-V–1948, P. VANSCHUYTBROECK; 3) P. VANSCHUYTBROECK det. “1950: Opacifrons rubrifrons Vansch. ”; 4) [red] Type; 5) “cf. Bull. Inst. Nat. Belg. I. G. “17315”. Right mid and hind legs lost.

Paratype male ( IRSN, abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial with glycerol): 1) f [it is actually a male specimen]; 2) Banana, 13-xii–1948, P. VANSCHUYTBROECK; 3) = 3) of HT; 4) [red] Paratype; 5), 6) = 5) and 6) of HT. In the original description it was erroneously reported as female.

Measurements in mm: body length 1.87 (holotype), (paratype) 1.81, wing length 2.25 (holotype), 1.89 (paratype), wing width 0.90, 0.88. 3 medium long interfrontal pairs plus 1 minute anterior pair. Postfrons reddish anteriorly. Genal seta long, 0.19 mm. Arista cilia 0.035 mm. Facial plate rather microtomentose, sub-shiny.

Anterior dorsocentral seta rather strong. Basal scutellar seta 0.45 mm, apical scutellar 0.58 mm long (left scutellar broken off on holotype).

Costal ratio 0.66 mm / 0.76, i.e. 0.87; wings clear without pecularities. Longest costal setae 0.10 mm.Inter-crossvein section of M 1+2 0.31 mm, M-M crossvein 0.11 mm. Discal cell with distinct lower edge.

Male mid femur without ventral setae but with a sub-basal white hair of 0.12 mm. Mid tibia with an almost complete row of anteroventral thorn-like setae, which are weaker than in O. subserrata sp. n. or O. serrata sp.n.. Mid basitarsus with a 0.06 mm long ventral seta.

Sternite 5 ( Fig. 12 View Figs 9–16 ) large but rather simple, without definite caudal processes but medial caudal part is with a pair of very small subapical emarginations. Stenite 5 with short setae only. Postabdominal sclerites with sternite 6 part thin and rather straight as for its medial part, sternite 7 part small and narrowed medially, sternite 8 part rather large.

Male genitalia ( Figs 25–31 View Figs 25–31 ) different from those in the O. serrata group. Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 25 View Figs 25–31 ) short but rather broad. Modified cerci ( Fig. 26 View Figs 25–31 ) without deep sagittal incision, cercal pegs very large and emerge rather close to each other ( Figs 25–26 View Figs 25–31 ). Cercal part with long setae. Surstylus ( Fig. 29 View Figs 25–31 ) with strongly narrowed apical half, apex with a blunt peg; surstylus seems very long and narrow in caudal view ( Fig. 26 View Figs 25–31 ). Phallus with comparatively thin distiphallus ( Fig. 30 View Figs 25–31 ), distiphallus with a short basal (caudal) extension only. Basiphallus robust and touches distiphallus on a large surface. Epiphallus strongly fused to basiphallus ( Figs 30–31 View Figs 25–31 ). Postgonite ( Fig. 28 View Figs 25–31 ) robust, rather broad and almost 0.2 mm long with a narrow apical projection but with minute setulae only.