Illustrated key and systematics of male South African Atherigona s. str. (Diptera: Muscidae)
Author
Muller, B. S.
text
African Invertebrates
2015
2015-12-31
56
3
845
845
http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.5733/afin.056.0301
journal article
10.5733/afin.056.0301
2305-2562
7915060
Atherigona divergens
Stein, 1913
Fig. 1
Atherigona divergens
Stein, 1913: 532
;
Deeming 1971: 183
.
Atherigona hancocki
van Emden, 1940: 113
,
syn n.
Diagnosis: This species is easily distinguishable from others by its projecting and knob-shaped proepisternum with 4 equally developed and strong setae, and its very complex and uniquely shaped quinquefoliate “trifoliate process” (
Fig. 1
).
Type material examined:
Holotype
♂
of
A. divergens
:
SOUTH
AFRICA
:
KwaZuluNatal
: ‘Durban, F. Muir’ (ZMHB).
Holotype
♂
of
A. hancocki
:
UGANDA
:
Kampala
G.L.R. Hancock
18.iv.1926
.
Van Emden 1940
(
MRAC
)
. Other material examined:
SOUTH
AFRICA
:
KwaZuluNatal
:
1♂
Drakensberg Garden Caravan Park
,
29°45'S
29°15'E
,
ca
.
1750 m
,
On Cassine
flowers,
6–11.i.1988
,
J.G.H. Londt
(
NMSA
)
;
5♂
Empangeni
,
28°38'S
31°42'E
,
5–15.i.1990
,
P.E. Reavell
,
Malaise trap
(
NMSA
)
;
1♂
Port Edward
,
31°03'S
30°13'E
,
9.iv.1997
,
K.R. Cradock
,
Malaise trap
(
NMSA
)
;
1♂
Royal Natal National Park
,
28°41.362'S
28°56.327'E
,
1425 m
, stream, y-wood,
10–13.xii.2004
,
M.B. Mostovski
,
Malaise trap
(
NMSA
)
;
4♂
Royal Natal National Park
,
Thendele
,
28°42.378'S
28°56.083'E
,
1600 m
,
Leucosedes
[
Leucosidea
] dominated scrub,
15–17.ii.2010
,
A.H. Kirk-Spriggs
,
Malaise trap
(
BMSA
(D) 19729, 19592, 19742, 19797)
.
Distribution: as
A. divergens
:
South Africa
; as
A. hancocki
:
Burkina Faso
,
Cameroon
,
Kenya
,
Rwanda
,
South Africa
,
Tanzania
,
Uganda
.
Discussion:
A. hancocki
van Emden
has since its initial description been one of the stranger species within the subgenus, with it being the only species with a quinquefoliate “trifoliate process”. One could be excused for thinking it impossible that it could actually become a junior synonym.
A. divergens
Stein
is currently housed in the ZMHB, after being thought lost together with numerous other
Atherigona
types until its “rediscovery” in the early 2000s.
A. divergens
has a relatively incomplete description (as do most species described at that time), but I was fortunate enough to have been able to examine both
A. divergens
and
A. hancocki
,
and was able to compare the
holotype
of
A. divergens
to the original description
of
A. hancocki
,
as well as the
holotype
, and it is identical to many of the diagnostic features of
A. hancocki
,
viz.
the proepisternum knob-shaped with four equally developed and strong setae; the hypopygial prominence absent; the frontal plates infuscated and glossy; the frontal vitta dull infuscated. Unfortunately the trifoliate process of
A. divergens
is missing so that cannot be compared. From the combination of characters (many considered unique to
A. hancocki
),
Atherigona hancocki
is hereby designated as a junior synonym of
Atherigona divergens
.