Anthomyia punctipennis Wiedemann, 1830

Ackland, D. M., 2001, Revision of afrotropical Anthomyia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of ten new species, African Invertebrates 42, pp. 1-94 : 19-22

Anthomyia punctipennis Wiedemann, 1830

( Figs 21–28 )

Anthomyia punctipennis Wiedemann, 1830: 435 ; Michelsen, 1997: 39.

Hylemyia punctipennis: Stein, 1904: 479 ; Malloch, 1934: 182; Zumpt & Patterson, 1952: 98.

Hylemyia deceptiva Malloch, 1921: 428 . Synonymy after Vockeroth, 1976: 348. Primary homonym of

Hylemyia deceptiva Fitch, 1856 [= Delia platura (Meigen, 1826) ].

Chortophila punctipennis: Stein, 1907: 285 .

Hylemyia (Craspedochaeta) punctipennis: Albuquerque, 1959: 11 .

Craspedochaeta punctipennis: Vockeroth, 1976: 348 .

Type (s) of punctipennis : ^, URUGUAY: Montevideo. Apparently lost, see Michelsen (1997: 39) .

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng: 9Ò20^, Johannesburg, various dates between 17.xii.1948 and 7.xii.1952, and collected on windows, at meat and on stools, Zumpt and Paterson ( BMNH). The specimens are labelled ‘ Paterson’ (presumably H. E. Paterson), although the paper recording this species from South Africa was by F. Zumpt & P. M. Patterson .

Male: Differs from A. simensis as follows:

Colour: Parafrontals with a greyish shifting spot in vibrissal angle which extends above genal groove but does not quite reach eye margin when viewed in profile; occiput blackish with rather dense grey dusting. Palpi brown with basal third orange-yellow. Thorax densely dusted light grey (over dark ground-colour) with 3 light brownish vittae, which are not strongly contrasting with the grey scutal dust; lateral vittae of same width. Pleura greyish dusted, without darker or shining areas. Abdomen with a wide but indistinct brown central vitta on all tergites, anterior and lateral margins of tergites not darkened. Pregenital sclerite brownish orange, with grey dusting, not shining. Wing ( Fig. 28 ) with membrane slightly brownish tinged with orange veins, with conspicuous patches of brownish clouding around upper crossvein, and on either end of lower crossvein, the circular patch on junction of lower crossvein with M 1+2 large and extensive; also some indistinct clouding near base of wing on membrane between R 4+5 and M 1+2, and another patch along costa between subcostal vein and apex of R 1. Legs, including coxae and trochanters, orange, except for fore femora which are dorsally infuscated, and tarsi which are black.

Head: Parafrontalia posteriorly nearly as wide as diameter of anterior ocellus, separated just below ocellar tubercle by a frontal stripe which is 1–1.5 times diameter of anterior ocellus, touching just below ocellar tubercle, widening anteriorly to width of first flagellomere; eyes separated on frons by twice width of anterior ocellus, 2–3 pairs of parafrontal setae on anterior half of distance between antennal base and anterior ocellus, the posterior pair smaller than the cruciate interfrontal setulae. First flagellomere twice as long as wide; arista only pubescent, longest hairs hardly as long as basal diameter.

Thorax: Prealar nearly twice as long as the rather short posterior notopleural; katepisternals 1(2) + 2, lower posterior nearly as long as upper anterior seta, lower anterior fine and hair-like.

Legs: f2 with row of about 4 pv, 0 av; f3 with 5–6 av on whole length, (which are about 1.5 times as long as depth of femur), 2 pv; t1 with 1 pv; t2 with 1 ad, 1 pd and 2p/ pv; t3 with 2–3 av, 3–4 ad, 3 pd and 1 pv.

Wing: costa with marginal spinules about as long as costal diameter, the longest of the two before distal break 3 times as long as the other costal spinules (= length of upper crossvein); lower cross-vein slightly sinuate, last section of M 1+2 1.5 times length of preceding section.

Wing length up to 6 mm.

Abdomen: 5th sternite processes ( Fig. 23 ) in ventral view with a few short setae laterally at their bases, otherwise with long multiserial rows of setulae on their inner margins, and some long apical setae on their divergent apices; in profile ( Fig. 24 ) the processes are apically widened and rounded. Central process of synsternite (6+7) ( Fig. 27 ) long and narrow, tongue-shaped, apically rounded and slightly expanded. Surstylus ( Fig. 22 ) weakly downcurved, bearing 3–4 short spinules below the angle of its inner lobe; in profile widened apically. Cercal plate ( Fig. 21 ) only 1.3 times as long as wide, gradually tapering to a narrow apex, with 4–5 pairs of pairs of subapical setulae, otherwise setulose only on basal half. Pregonite ( Fig. 25 ) about as long as wide, tapering, with 2 straight setulae on distal margin; postgonite ( Fig. 25 ) with a short setula placed on ventroapical corner, the incision between setula and apex circular. Distal section of aedeagus ( Fig. 26 ) with a sub-basal dorsal process slightly separated from its base, distal section almost the same width throughout, only slightly wider apically, evenly bent along its length.

Female:

Similar to male. Thoracic pattern very similar to that of male; eyes widely separated by about one-third head width; chaetotaxy rather stronger and longer. Wing patches as in male. Ovipositor not examined. Wing length 5 mm.

Discussion: Anthomyia punctipennis was first recorded in South Africa by Zumpt and Patterson (1952) from traps baited with human faeces or meat; a total of 285 specimens were caught over a two year period. Malloch (1921: 428) described Hylemyia deceptiva from New Zealand and Australia, stating that it was a species closely allied to punctipennis . Vockeroth (1976) synonymised these two names, pointing out that as punctipennis had not been recorded in New Zealand in 1900, it was probably a species introduced by human agency at some time early in the 20th century into New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Michelsen (1997) in a paper dealing with Wiedemann’s Anthomyiidae , was unable to find any type material of punctipennis . He pointed out that ‘there were a number of closely related species in South America, and until this species group was revised, and a neotype designated from the type locality, Anthomyia punctipennis Wiedemann should be treated as an unrecognised species’. Albuquerque’s interpretation of punctipennis (1959) was supported by a description and figures of the genitalia, and South African specimens appear consistent with his description, and so are here recorded under that name. Certain points in his description require clarification with respect to differences from closely related species (some of which may be undescribed).A neotype designation for punctipennis is needed in the context of the next revision of South American Anthomyia species.

Distribution: Only known in South Africa from Johannesburg.

(b) Anthomyia pluvialis Section

Ò^: Proepisternum (propleural depression) setulose; thorax and abdomen patterned. Ò: Apical setulae of cercal plate short and spiniform. ^: Three spermathecae.

Figures

Figs 21–28. Anthomyia punctipennis Wiedemann.(Ò, Johannesburg, Gauteng).21–27.Terminalia.21. Cercal plate and surstyli, caudal view. 22. Ditto, lateral view. 23. 5th sternite, ventral view. 24. Ditto, lateral view. 25. Gonites. 26. Distal section of aedeagus. 27. Central process of synsternite (6+7). 28. Wing.