Dacus (Didacus) abruptus, 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 : 11

Dacus (Didacus) abruptus sp.n.

Figures 14 – 19 .

Diagnosis. As D. ciliatus Loew, 1862 , except: Thorax. Scutum predominantly black (fig. 14). Lateroterga with a single xanthine across both anatergite and katatergite (fig. 17). Legs. All femora bicoloured (fig. 18). Abdomen. Predominantly black (fig. 15).

Description. Size. Medium, wing length, 6.2 mm. Head (fig. 16). Pedicel+first flagellomere not longer than ptilinal suture. Face, antennal furrow with a dark spot, about two-thirds width and in lower half of furrow. Frons, frontal setae 2, orbital setae 1. Thorax (figs 14, 17). Scutum predominantly black; postpronotal lobe yellow; notopleural callus yellow; notopleural xanthine wedge shaped (connected to notopleural callus); lateral and medial postsutural vittae absent. Scutellum without any dark patterning (except for basal dark margin). Anepisternum with a subparallel stripe from notopleural callus to katepisternum; extended onto katepisternum. Lateroterga with a single xanthine across both anatergite and katatergite. Thoracic setae. Anterior notopleural seta present; anterior supra-alar seta absent. Wing (fig. 19). Basal cells bc and c without an almost complete covering of microtrichia; cell bm without microtrichia. Narrow subbasal raised section of cell br with extensive covering of microtrichia. Crossvein R-M beyond middle of cell dm. Costal band complete; shallow, not extending below vein R2+3 before wing apex; abruptly expanded at apex, but barely below vein R3+4 apically. Anal streak present (colour extending beyond cell bcu). Cells bc and c hyaline. Without any crossbanding. Legs (fig. 18). Femora bicoloured (pale basally and red-brown in apical third to half). Abdomen (fig. 15). Terga I – III predominantly black, except for very small reddish submedial spots at apex of terga II and III; tergite IV black laterally and medially, reddish submedially; tergite V and oviscape largely reddish; shape more rotund than most members of the Ciliatus group, similar to D. abditus ( Munro, 1984) . Tergites I – V all fused. Male. Unknown. Female (fig. 15). Aculeus pointed; no torsion.

Etymology. Descriptive name for the abrupt ( abruptus ) expansion of the costal band to form an apical spot.

Material. Holotype female, ETHIOPIA: Alemaya, vii – viii.1986, T. Mesfin (Z.1986 – 118) (authors borrowed from TAU; expected to be returned to NMWC by collection manager of TAU).

Remarks. This species is very close to D. vertebratus but differs in having a black scutum and a predominantly black abdomen; the costal band apical spot starts abruptly from a parallel sided portion of the costal band that extends beyond vein R2+3; in D. vertebratus the spot starts more gradually.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 19. Dacus (Didacus) abruptus sp. n., holotype female. 14. Mesonotum, dorsal view. 15. Abdomen, with extended aculeus, dorsal view. 16. Head, anterior view. 17. Thorax, right lateral view. 18. Legs, right lateral view; hind, mid, fore. 19. Wing, dorsal view. Scale lines = 1 mm.