Stylogaster kirkspriggsi, Stuke, 2012

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2012, A revision of Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key, African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 267-267 : 310-313

Stylogaster kirkspriggsi sp. n.

Figs 136–150

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs (Bloemfontein), who provided numerous conopids used in this study.

Diagnosis: The male of this species is easily recognised by the diagnostic setulae on the mid tibia ( Fig. 141). The only other Afrotropical Stylogaster species with a small ocellar triangle ( Fig. 140) and similar habitus is S. complexa (Bigot) . The male terminalia of S. kirkspriggsi sp. n. are (further) diagnostic ( Figs 144–150).

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 10.3 mm.

Head: 2.1 mm high. Eye dark brown, with a few scattered inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli yellow­brown. Ocellar tubercle blackish brown, with 1 pair of inconspicuous ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle triangular occupying less than half of frons, not reaching antennae ( Fig. 140). Ocellar triangle blackish brown. Frons orange­brown lateral to ocellar triangle, with 2 or 3 fronto­orbital setae. Antenna orange-brown.Arista dark brown, 3 segments evident, situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 139). Scapus with few black setulae dorsally. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 139. One distinct black vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput black to brown, distinctly silver pruinose; with row of regularly-arranged small white setulae dorsally, and several longer white setulae ventrally. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis pale brown basally, becoming blackish brown distally, except for yellow-brown distal division of labellum. Labrum ca 6.6 mm, labellum approximately same length.

Thorax: Yellow-brown, mesoscutum pale brown medially. Setae black, with exception of golden setae on propleuron. Two notopleural setae, 1 supra-alar seta, 2 postalar setae, 1 praescutellar dorsocentral seta, 1 apical scutellar seta, 1 seta on anepimeron and 1 golden seta above fore coxa on propleuron. Black semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 7.1 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, except for base of sc, base of r 2+3, most of br, base of r 4+5, bm, base of dm and cup. Hind margin of wing with black setulae. Venation as in Fig. 137. Haltere uniformly orange­brown, with areas of sensillae basally.

Legs: Fore and mid legs whitish yellow, hind leg slightly darker with brown band on apex of femur, a brown band in middle of tibia and contrasting white area on distal third of tibia. Fore and mid legs with white setulae, a few scattered black setulae, and black and golden setae, hind leg with black and white setulae, and black setae. Fore and mid coxae each with single long seta, seta on left of fore coxa golden, other three black. Fore and mid coxa additionally with some black or golden setulae. Hind coxa with strong black setae on anterior surface distally and 1 smaller black seta laterally. Additionally with several black or golden setulae. Fore and mid trochanter both with 1 conspicuous black or golden seta. Hind trochanter with conspicuous dense black setulae. Mid femur with row of regularly-arranged black setulae posteriorly in distal half. Mid tibia with long golden setulae on anterior and ventral surfaces distally ( Fig. 141). Base of hind femur with dense black setulae on posterior surface, slightly longer than other setulae on hind femur ( Fig. 142). Claws only narrowly brown basally, black distally. Pulvilli brown. Empodia short, pale brown.

Abdomen: Uniformly orange­brown, tergites 4–5 with black discoloration ( Fig. 138). Tergites with semi-adpressed black setulae. Tergite 1 with long golden setulae laterally, tergite 2 with 8 or 9 black lateral setae on either side of anterior margin, tergite 5 with long black setulae laterally. The abdomen of the holotype has not been dissected but matches, as far as can be seen, with the terminalia of a paratype. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 144–150. Cercus elongated with a convex dorsal margin ( Fig. 146). No conspicuous teeth ventrally. No black setae. Surstylus elongated and narrow with a conspicuous lobe basally ( Fig. 144). No black spines or teeth. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 149, with a pointed apex and no black setae.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: (1) “ CAPE PROVINCE / Cold spring / Grahamstown / 19.XI.1972 / C. Jacot-Guillarmod ”; (2) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / kirkspriggsi ♂ / des. Stuke, 2009” ( AMGS) . Holotype complete and in good condition, except for some slight damage to right wing.

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: 1♂ Belmont Valley, Grahamstown , 14–20 xii.1971, F.W. Gess ( AMGS) ; 1♂ Howison’s Poort, Grahamstown , 12–14 xi.1971, F.W. Gess ( J­HS) .

Distribution: Known only from the environs of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Bionomics: Unknown.