Stylogaster fanjae, 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 : 289-292

Stylogaster fanjae sp. n.

Figs 60–71

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Fanjahariniony (Fanja) Rambeloson (Paris), who sorted most of the material from Madagascar that was used in this study. Diagnosis: Stylogaster fanjae sp. n. belongs to a group of similar species from Madagascar, having a black mesoscutum ( Fig. 60), a dark brown abdomen ( Fig. 61) and no additional setulae on the mid femur. The three species in this group ( S. camrasi , S. fanjae sp. n. and S. pseudofanjae sp. n.), can easily be identified using characters of the male terminalia. Stylogaster fanjae sp. n. has two black teeth on the distal margin of the surstylus, no black setae at the base of the phallus sheath, setae at the cercus and a diagnostically shaped surstylus. It is very similar to S. pseudofanjae sp. n., which has a differently shaped surstylus, especially apparent when viewed ventrally ( Fig. 68). Additionally, the dense black setulae on the ventral surface of the mid tibia ( Fig. 65) distinguish S. fanjae sp. n. from its congeners.

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 4.7 mm.

Head: 1.1 mm high. Eye dark brown, with a few scattered inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli orange­brown. Ocellar tubercle pale brown, with 1 pair of ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies virtually the whole frons, reaching as far as antennae ( Fig. 63). Ocellar triangle brown. Frons lateral to ocellar triangle black with only 1 small fronto­orbital seta defined. Antenna dark brown. Arista dark brown, 3 segments evident. Arista situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 62). Scapus with a few orange-brown setulae dorsally. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 62. One distinct black vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput black to brown, distinctly silver pruinose; dorsally with line of regularly-arranged, small white setulae, ventrally with several longer white setulae. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis pale brown basally, becoming brown distally, except for yellow-brown distal division of labellum. Labrum ca 2.1 mm, labellum approximately same length.

Thorax: Yellow-brown; mesoscutum (with exception of postpronotum), scutellum and mediotergite dark brown, anepisternum pale brown. All setae present on holotype black (no pleural seta, no scutellar seta, no dorsocentral seta and no supralar setae). Two notopleural setae, 1 damaged supra-alar seta, 1 postalar seta (a second may be damaged), 1 damaged praescutellar dorsocentral seta, 1 damaged apical scutellar seta, 1 damaged seta on anepimeron and 1 damaged seta above fore coxa on propleuron. Black semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 3.3 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, except for small area at base of r 1 and r 2+3, base of br, bm and base of dm. Hind margin of wing with black or brown setulae. Venation as in Fig. 64. Haltere uniformly pale brown with areas of sensillae at base.

Legs: Fore and mid legs yellow­brown. Hind leg darker, with a lighter ventral surface only on hind femur. Legs have mainly black or brown setulae and black setae, only fore and mid tibiae additionally with pale yellow setulae. Fore and mid coxae without distinct setae, but with strong black setulae distally. Hind coxa with 2 lateral black setulae and strong black setulae distally on anterior surface. Hind trochanter without teeth or dense setulae. Mid femur posteriorly on basal half with row of regularly-arranged black setulae. Hind tibia with 2–4 short black spines on anterior surface. Mid tibia with dense black setulae ventrally. Claws dark brown basally, distally black. Pulvilli pale yellow. Empodia short, brown.

Abdomen: Mainly dark brown, tergites 3–4 lighter brown in basal two-thirds, tergite 2 lighter brown in the basal two-thirds with exception of a darker mid fascia. Epandrium yellow­brown laterally ( Fig. 61). Tergites with semi­adpressed black setulae. Tergite 1 with long white setulae laterally, tergite 2 on anterior margin with 4 or 5 black lateral setae on either side. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 66–71. Cercus elongated ( Fig. 66). Dorsal margin slightly concave. Cercus with no lappet ventrally. No conspicuous teeth ventrally. Some setae dorsally ( Fig. 70). Surstylus with 2 black teeth on distal margin. No setulae on inner surface. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 69.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR: (1) “ Madagascar / Province Fianarantsoa / Parc National Ranomafana / radio tower at forest edge / elev 1130 m / 27. June­12. July 2005 ”; (2) “ 21°15.05'S 47°24.43'E / coll. M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / coll. California Acad. of Science / malaise, mixed tropical forest / MA­02­09B­118”; (3) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / fanjae ♂ / des. Stuke, 2011” ( CAS). Left wing is torn, several tarsi and setae damaged.Abdomen dissected, macerated and stored in glycerine in a microvial pinned beneath the specimen. The holotype is otherwise in good condition.

Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.

Bionomics: Sampled in primary rainforest at moderately high elevation (1130 m).