Anthomyia parapluvialis, Ackland, 2001

Ackland, D. M., 2001, Revision of afrotropical Anthomyia Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of ten new species, African Invertebrates 42, pp. 1-94 : 34-37

Anthomyia parapluvialis sp. n.

( Figs 48, 49 , 66–76 )

‘ Anthomyia tempestatum Wiedemann’. Malloch, 1924: 272 (? in part).

‘ Anthomyia pluvialis tempestatum Wiedemann’. Emden, 1941 a: 213; Emden, 1941 b: 262; Emden, 1956:

530.

Holotype Ò: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: ‘Holotype’ [circular white label with red perimeter]; ‘Brandkop area / Calvinia district / South-west Cape / 14 October 1964 / B. & P. Stuckenberg’ [rectangular white printed label]; ‘ Holotype Ò / Anthomyia / parapluvialis / D. M. Ackland; [rectangular red printed and written label]. In good condition, left hind leg missing. In NMSA.

Paratypes: ANGOLA: 1^, 12 mls SW Luimbale, ca. 5500 ft, 20–21.iii.1972, Southern African Exp. , 1972 ( BMNH) . BOTSWANA: 13Ò1^, Kuke Pan, (E87), 0 ° 59'S: 22 ° 25'E, 14–15.iv.1972, Southern African Exp. , 1972 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, Mababe Flats , 7.x.1958 ( BMNH) ; 1^, Kenye , i.1956, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 9Ò1^, Serowe , bush savanna, 1996, cantharidin trap, Per Forchhammer ( DMA) . ETHIOPIA: 1Ò, Prov. Gojjam, Mt. Choke , 20.xii.1972, G. B. White, ex faeces of gelada baboon ( BMNH) : 2Ò1^, Addis Ababa, Entotto , 17.x.1968, R. Kano & T. Ohse, 3000 m ( DMA) . KENYA: 2Ò, Muguga , ix.1969, C. F. Dewhurst ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same data but 15–17.vi.1969 ( BMNH) ; 1^, Nairobi , 9– 13.xii.1970, A. E. Stubbs, 5500 ft ( BMNH) : 1Ò, Muguga , 6–12.i.1969, M. Birch ( DMA) . LESOTHO: 1^, Maseru district, Blue Mountain Pass, Makhaleng Valley, Maloti Mountains , 12–14.i.1963, 2150–2525 m, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) . NAMIBIA: 2Ò5^, Otjikoko Süd Fm., 33 mls ENE Omaruru (W36), 10–13.ii.1972, Southern African Exp. , 1972 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò1^, Regenstein, 15 mls SSW Windhoek (W54), 9.iv.1972, Southern African Exp. , ( BMNH) ; 1^, Kombat, 1–6.iv.1972, Southern African Exp. , 1972 ( BMNH) ; 6Ò2^, Lüderitz, Skorpion Hill , 27 ° 49'S: 16 ° 36'E, 9–12.viii.1997, E. Marais & A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( NMWN) ; 2Ò1^, Lüderitz, Obib waters, 28 ° 00'S: 16 ° 38'E, 19–21.ix.1997, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise traps ( NMWN) ; 1Ò, same data but 25–26.viii.1998 (all NMWN type series T636 ) . SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Province: 2Ò, Naboomspruit , 24.ii.1960 ( BMNH) ; 1^, Potgietersrust , 6.xii.1953 ( BMNH) . North West: 3Ò, Potchefstroom , 18.xii.1952, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same data but 23.xi.1952 ; 1Ò1^, same data but 7.ii.1953 ( BMNH) . KwaZulu-Natal: 2Ò, Weenen Nature Reserve, Umthombe , 28 ° 51'S: 29 ° 59'E, 1–4.x.1990, A. E. Whittington, thornveld, sweepnet ( NMSA) . Gauteng: 1Ò, Vereeniging , 23.i.1954 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, Johannesburg , 29.iii.1952, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same data but 7.x.1951 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same data but 4.xi.1951, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, same data but 30.xi.1952, Paterson ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, Bapsfontein , x.1954 ( BMNH) ; 2^, Pretoria , 23.xi.1952 ( BMNH) . Eastern Cape: 1Ò, 16 mls E of Cradock Farm ‘ Who can tell’, 3225 Bb, M. E. & B. J. Irwin ( NMSA) ; 1Ò, Lundeans Nek, Barkly East dist. , 18.i.1963, B. & P. Stuckenberg, 1925–2100 m ( NMSA) ; 1Ò, Willowmore , 29.xii.1935, Dr Brauns ( NMSA) ; 1^, same data but v.1919 ( NMSA) . Western Cape: 1Ò1^, Nr Inverdoorn Ceres, Karroo at junction of Calvinia Sutherland Rd, 2–3.x.1959, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) ; 3Ò5^, Brandkop area, Calvinia district , 14.x.1964, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) . Northern Cape: 3Ò1^, Colesburg , 2–4.xii.1953 ( BMNH) ; 2^, Hester Malan Nat. Res., 10 mls E Springbok, 7–8.i.1972, Southern African Exp. , 1972 ( BMNH) ; 1Ò, 10 km SW Sutherland , 32 ° 20´S: 20 ° 36´E, 28.xi.1990, Whittington & Londt, S slope Swaarweerberg ( NMSA) . ZIMBABWE: 1Ò, Salisbury , xi.1951, F. Zumpt ( BMNH) ; 1^, Salisbury , 3.iv.1927, A. Cuthbertson, grass in marsh, ( BMNH) .

Other material examined: KENYA: 1Ò, Nanyuki (S), v.1948, van Someren (det. A. pluvialis tempestatum by Emden, 1948); 1Ò, Trans-Naoia Dist., nr Cherangani Hills, 40 mls E of Mt. Elgon, 6200 ft, 6–9.ii.1925, C. R. S. Pitman (det. A. pluvialis tempestatum by S. V. Peris, 1947) ( BMNH). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 4Ò, Estcourt, ix.– x.1896, G. A. K. Marshall (1Ò, det A. tempestatum by Malloch). Northern Cape: 1Ò5^, Calvinia, xi.1931, J. Ogilvie (det. A. pluvialis tempestatum by Emden, 1940) ( BMNH); 1Ò, Nieuwoudtville, 18–22.xi.1931, Mrs L. Olgivie ( BMNH).

Etymology: From the Gr. para- meaning ‘by the side of’ and indicating a close relationship with pluvialis .

Anthomyia parapluvialis is closely related to both tempestatum and the holarctic pluvialis , and differs from both mainly in the male genitalia.

Male:

Thorax: Transverse postsutural band separated into three spots ( Fig. 66 , Western Cape) or narrowly joined ( Fig. 67 , Botswana, Kenya, North West ( South Africa)). But this character is variable even in material from the same locality. Presutural acrostichal setae rather closer together in most specimens (ratio 5:3:5). Anterior katepisternal seta longer than in tempestatum (about three-quarters length of posterior dorsal seta).

Legs: t3 with 1 av, 5 ad, 2 pd and only 3–4 short p setae (more numerous in tempestatum ).

Abdomen: Long ovate, tapering from 3rd to 5th tergite; only about one and two thirds as long as wide (at 3rd tergite), in profile rather robust, semi-compressed in basal two-thirds. a wide central vitta on all tergites, except only basally on 5th tergite, which is as wide as depth of hind femur, or even wider anteriorly where it joins a narrow black band which expands into a lateral triangular spot half length of tergites. 4th sternite ( Fig. 71 ) similar to tempestatum (and differing from pluvialis ); 5th sternite ( Fig. 72 ) with the membranous lobe on processes apically placed, projecting caudally ( Fig. 73 ), with the apical lateral setae not much longer than the lobes, in profile there is no gap between the inner basal setae and the apical lateral setae (present in pluvialis ), and the ventral margin is straighter than in pluvialis . Inner margin of processes in ventral view ( Fig. 72 ) concave, only becoming weakly convex in middle. Postabdomen: Cercal plate ( Fig. 69 ) not produced apically; surstylus ( Figs 69–70 ) less robust than tempestatum but not as slender in apical half as pluvialis . Central process of synsternite (6+7) ( Fig. 76 ) similar to pluvialis , arms widely divergent. Pregonite ( Fig. 74 ) less expanded apically than tempestatum ; postgonite ( Fig. 74 ) with an expanded setula (as pluvialis ); distal section of aedeagus ( Fig. 75 ) in lateral view strongly flexed, but angle of concavity on dorsal margin more than 90 °.

Discussion: Both Malloch (1924: 272) and Emden (1951: 354) misidentified this species. In 1924 Malloch listed several localities for tempestatum Wied. , one being Estcourt, Natal. There is a male of parapluvialis from Estcourt in the BMNH carrying a det label ‘ A. tempestatum det. Malloch’. There are also several males of parapluvialis determined by Emden as A. pluvialis tempestatum ; I suspect that the specimen mentioned by Emden (1951: 354) from Natal, and identified by Malloch as procellaris, and re-identified by Emden as an aberrant benguellae , is in fact also parapluvialis . Emden’s remark that ‘the apical production of the fourth ventrite [=5th sternite] is more directed forward [sic] than ventrad, and the postsutural band is as in the latter species’ could apply to parapluvialis . The terminalia of Anthomyia pluvialis from Malta are illustrated (for comparison) in Figs 77–81 .

The only record of larval habitat is the Ò bred from gelada baboon dung in Ethiopia by Dr G. B. White (see under Anthomyia whitei ).

Distribution: Anthomyia parapluvialis appears to be widely distributed in the Afrotropical Region, with records from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa to Kenya and Ethiopia.

Figures

Figs 46–49. Characters of ^ ovipositors. 46–47. Anthomyia benguellae Malloch. 46. ovipositor, dorsal view (North West, South Africa). 47. Ditto, apical segments, dorsal view (Western Cape, South Africa). 48–49. Anthomyia parapluvialis sp. n. 48. ovipositor, dorsal view (Namibia), 49. Ditto, apical segments. Figs 46, 48, scale = 0.5 mm.

Figs 66–76. Anthomyia parapluvialis sp. n. Ò paratypes. 66. Thorax, dorsal view (Western Cape, South Africa). 67. Ditto (Botswana). 68. Ditto lateral view (Western Cape). 69–76. Ò terminalia. 69. Cercal plate and surstyli, caudal view. 70. Ditto, lateral view. 71. 4th sternite, ventral view. 72. 5th sternite, ventral view. 73. Ditto, lateral view. 74. Gonites. 75. Distal section of aedeagus. 76. Central process of synsternite (6+7).

Figs 77–81. Anthomyia pluvialis L. (Malta). 77. Thorax, lateral view. 78–81. Ò terminalia. 78. Cercal plate and surstyli, caudal view. 79. Ditto, lateral view. 80. 4th and 5th sternites, ventral view. 81. 5th sternite, lateral view.