Curtonotum moffatt Kirk-Spriggs, 2013

Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H. & Wiegmann, Brian M., 2013, A revision of Afrotropical Quasimodo flies (Diptera: Schizophora; Curtonotidae). Part IV — the continental Afrotropical species of Curtonotum Macquart, with descriptions of thirteen new species and a combined phylogenetic analysis of the Curtonotidae , Zootaxa 3684 (1), pp. 1-166 : 70-72

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3684.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E922034E-1247-400B-97F6-1778CF766B91
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E45152-FFDA-FFA1-A6AB-F96354CA40D4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Curtonotum moffatt Kirk-Spriggs
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Curtonotum moffatt Kirk-Spriggs , sp. n.,

Figs 110 View FIGURES 106–111 , 134 View FIGURES 130–141 , 164 View FIGURES 160–165 , 170, 214, 219, 222, 225, 226, 230, 231, 324.

Etymology. The specific epithet moffatt is a noun in apposition, named in honour of Graham Moffatt (1919–1965), British comedy actor of the 1930s, who played the insolent, overweight, schoolboy in company with Will Hay and Moore Marriott.

Description: Male (primarily based on field-pinned HT).

As described for C. marriott sp. n. (above), differing in the following respects:

Measurements: Overall length unknown (the ♀ measures 5.1 mm; n = 1, PT); length of head and thorax combined 3.5–4.0 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 3.1–3.7 mm; wing length 5.2–5.9 mm (n = 4, HT, PT).

Head ( Figs 110 View FIGURES 106–111 , 134 View FIGURES 130–141 ). Eye height/length ratio: 14:8 (n = 1, HT); frons ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 130–141 ) length/width ratio: 9:12 (n = 1, HT); arista with 10–11 dorsal branches and 4–5 ventral branches; face with narrow silver fascia (½ width between eye margin and ptilinal fissure), edge adjacent to ptilinal fissure coloured as on frons; 14 fine setae bordering genal groove; eye height/genal height ratio: 14:2 (n = 1, HT).

Thorax ( Fig. 110 View FIGURES 106–111 ). Postpronotum with 23 fine setulae; anepisternum with 30 fine setulae; dorsal katepisternal setae ca. ½ length of ventral, with 25 short, fine setulae.

Legs. Fore coxa with 16 brown setulae; fore tibia with ctenidium of 16–17 spinules.

Wing ( Fig. 164 View FIGURES 160–165 ). Dm–cu crossvein with acute medial angle.

Abdomen. Sternite 6 ( Fig. 219 View FIGURES 218–227 ) apically expanded, with sides evenly straight, with relatively shallow, V-shaped apical excision, clothed in short black irregular brown setulae, those at apical margin longer and more prominent.

Terminalia ( Figs 222, 225, 226 View FIGURES 218–227 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 222 View FIGURES 218–227 , hy) with 2 setulae proximal to postgonite (obscured by epandrium on Fig. 222 View FIGURES 218–227 ); postgonite (pg); epandrium (ep); cercus (ce); surstylus (ss); phallus (as in Fig. 225 View FIGURES 218–227 , ph, bp, dp); phallapodeme (ph); ejaculatory apodeme (ea); basiphallus ( Figs 225, 226 View FIGURES 218–227 , bp) narrow and regular in basal ⅓, then abruptly narrowed, with heavily sclerotised spur-like extension of left side clearly visible through cuticle, inner lateral margin developed into convex, prominent finger-like projection with adjoining clearly serrated margin ( Fig. 226 View FIGURES 218–227 ); distiphallus ( Fig. 225 View FIGURES 218–227 , dp) short, subdivided into apically expanded, unforked baso-ventral process (bvp) and straight ventrally-directed apico-dorsal process.

♀ Similar to ♂, except in the following respects: wing length 5.0–5.8 (n = 3, PT); spermatheca ( Fig. 214 View FIGURES 203–217 ) long, smooth, obclavate.

Variation. No significant variation is noted.

Differential diagnosis. Curtonotum moffatt sp. n. is mainly separable from its congeners, C. marriott sp. n. and C. platyphallum , on the form of the male terminalia, especially the shape of the distiphallus ( Figs 224–227 View FIGURES 218–227 ) and of male sternite 6 ( Figs 218–220 View FIGURES 218–227 ) (see above key for details). Given the degree of inter- and intraspecific variation in the shape of the spermatheca ( Fig. 214 View FIGURES 203–217 ) in other species with obclavate spermathecae, it is unlikely that the shape of this structure has any value in distinguishing the species.

Type material examined. UGANDA: holotype ♂, “Uganda / Katona // Mujenje [= Muyenje] / 1913.VIII // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / moffatt sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 [printed; red card]” ( HNHM) . In good condition, some tarsi damaged; direct-pinned; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen. Paratypes (all labelled: “ PARATYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / moffatt sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2011 ”): [ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC]: 1♂, “Carnot-Buav / Glajanga’s / Tessmann S. / 9-14.1.14 [printed; blue card] // Zool. Mus. / Berlin” ; 1♀, “Uamgebiet [= Uam Region ] / Bosum [= Bozoum] 1-10.5.[19]14 / Tessmann S. [printed; blue card] // Zool. Mus. / Berlin” (both ZMHB) . UGANDA: 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype ( HNHM) ; 2♂, “VICTORIA NYANZA / ARCIP. DI SESSE [= Ssese Islands ] / BUGALA [= Bugala Island] 1908 / Dr. E. BAYON // Museo Civico / di Genova [printed; pale blue card]” ( MSNG) .

Distribution. Cameroon, Central African Republic and Uganda ( Fig. 324 View FIGURE 324 ). Pending additional records the distribution is best interpreted as transitional between the Guineo-Congolian rainforest and savanna (e. g., White and Werger 1978; Kirk-Spriggs 2003).

Bionomics. Occurring in three major habitat types; predominantly in Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands, with a single record from the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests vegetation type (Appendix III).