Dacus (Didacus) africanus Adams

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 : 11-13

Dacus (Didacus) africanus Adams

Dacus africanus Adams, 1905: 169

Didacus africanus: Cogan & Munro 1980: 521

Dacus (Didacus) devure Hancock, 1985b: 304 ; White (2006: 82); syn.n.

Material. MOZAMBIQUE: 1 male, Gorongoza, 18.3S, 34.02E, 1 – 2.xii.2006, trapped with mixed male lure (cue lure, methyl eugenol, trimedlure), P. Schule ( MRAC).

Remarks. White (2006) was not able to study the type of D. devure and similarly, Hancock (1985b) did not study the type of D. africanus . The males of both these species are reported to be attracted to cue lure, i.e. 4-(p -acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone ( White 2006). The discovery of a male from Mozambique which clearly ran to D. devure in the key by White (2006), and which was lure collected, prompted further consideration of the separation of D. devure from D. africanus , which was as follows: laterotergite xanthine completely confined to the katatergite in D. africanus , or slightly extended onto the anatergite in D. devure . A further 6 males were recently (2009) collected using cue lure in Mozambique by M. De Meyer (MRAC) and selected images were supplied to the authors. These show a continuous range of variation between the xanthine being confined to the katatergite, to it also covering one-third of the anatergite; the costal band in each case was narrower than normally observed in D. vertebratus , as indicated by couplet 167 of the key in White (2006). In conclusion, there is no evidence to support the continued listing of D. devure as a separate species, and it is here placed as a synonym to D. africanus . The continued separation of D. africanus from D. vertebratus is supported by the differing lure response of these species; males of D. vertebratus being attracted to methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, which Hancock (1985a) named as “vert lure”.