Dacus (Lophodacus) xanthinus, White, Ian M. & Goodger, Kim F. M., 2009

White, Ian M. & Goodger, Kim F. M., 2009, African Dacus (Diptera: Tephritidae); New Species and Data, with Particular Reference to the Tel Aviv University Collection, Zootaxa 2127, pp. 1-49 : 26-28

Dacus (Lophodacus) xanthinus sp.n.

Figures 58 – 63 .

Dacus apoxanthus: White 2006: 117 , not Bezzi 1924b: 466 [misidentification, in part]

Diagnosis. This species differs from D. apoxanthus Bezzi, 1924 b in having distinct xanthines (postpronotal lobe, notopleural wedge, scutellum, anepisternal, katatergite and katepisternum; Figs 58, 61 ).

Description. Size. Small, wing length, 4.2 – 4.7 mm. Head (fig. 60). Pedicel+first flagellomere not longer than ptilinal suture. Face, antennal furrow with a dark spot, almost a four-sided shape filling width of furrow. Frons, frontal setae 1 – 2, orbital setae absent. Thorax (figs 58, 61). Scutum predominantly red-brown; postpronotal lobe yellow; notopleural callus yellow; notopleural xanthine wedge shaped (connected to notopleural callus), slightly constricted adjacent callus; lateral and medial postsutural vitta absent. Scutellum without any dark patterning (except for red-brown basal margin). Anepisternum with a yellow stripe from notopleural callus to katepisternum; extended onto katepisternum. Laterotergal xanthine confined to katatergite. Thoracic setae. Anterior notopleural seta present but reduced (thin); anterior supra-alar seta absent. Wing (fig. 63). Basal cells bc and c without an almost complete covering of microtrichia; cell bm without microtrichia. Narrow subbasal raised section of cell br without microtrichia. Crossvein R-M beyond middle of cell dm. Costal band reduced to a very narrow band, often barely discernable, and a small apical spot. Anal streak absent. Cells bc and c hyaline. Without any crossbanding. Legs (fig. 62). Forefemur pale, mid- and hindfemur pale to barely discernably bicolored (yellow, pale brown apically). Abdomen (fig. 59). Predominantly red-brown; tergite IV with a round black sublateral spot; tergite V with a broad medial black stripe. Tergites I – V all fused. Male. Tergite III without pecten; no dense microtrichia adjacent end A1+Cu2; no hindtibia preapical pad. Basal costal section (costagium) with thickened setae. Female. No data (aculeus retracted and not dissected).

Etymology. Descriptive name for its prominent xanthines.

Material. Holotype male, paratypes, 2 males, 1 female, NIGERIA: Plateau State, Kurra Falls, 60km s.e. Jos, 5 – 7.xii.1987, A. Freidberg ( TAU). 1 paratype male, SENEGAL: Abbaye Keur Moussa, 5.x.2004, J.F. Vayssieres, RVA1650 ( BMNH).

Remarks. The specimen from Senegal is teneral and was wrongly assumed to be an unusual variant of D. apoxanthus by White (2006). The specimens from Nigeria are mature and the differences from southern and eastern African D. apoxanthus are both distinct and consistent.

Figures

FIGURES 58 – 63. Dacus (Lophodacus) xanthinus sp. n., holotype male. 58. Mesonotum, dorsal view. 59. Abdomen, dorsal view. 60. Head, anterior view. 61. Thorax, left lateral view. 62. Legs, left lateral view; fore, mid, hind. 63. Wing, dorsal view. Scale lines = 1 mm.