Proteaphila maculosa Davies & Miller, 2012

Davies, Gregory B. P., Miller, Raymond M. & Muller, Burgert S., 2012, A new genus of lauxaniid fly from South Africa (Diptera: Acalyptratae: Lauxaniidae), associated with proteas (Proteaceae), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 615-615 : 622-624

Proteaphila maculosa Davies & Miller sp. n.

Figs 3A, 4C , 5C , 6 , 9 , 12

Etymology: From Latin maculosa (dappled, spotted), in reference to patterned wings. Diagnosis: A grey­orange fly with brown stripes and intricately patterned wings. Although the other species resemble each other in general facies, the male terminalia of maculosa look more like those of stuckenbergorum . Acrostichal bristles are large and robust (they all qualify as setae, not setulae). The aedeagus looks vaguely like the head of a flatworm or arrowhead.

Description:

Measurements: head length: ♀ (n=4) = 1.3 (1.2–1.3), ♂ (n=2) = 1.3; thorax length: ♀ = 2.4 (2.3–2.6), ♂ = 2.4 (2.3–2.5); abdomen length: ♀ = 2.0 (1.7–2.3), ♂ = 2.0 (1.9–2.1); wing length: ♀ (n=3) = 5.3 (5.1–5.5), ♂ = 5.2 (5.1–5.3).

Head ( Figs 4C , 6B, 6D ): Frons straight, oriented at slight angle relative to scutum. Frons with 3 pairs of vittae, first vitta brown, beginning at inner vertical seta, extending to anterior edge of frons. Another brown vitta runs from inner anterior edge of eye to anterior edge of frons. Anterior edge of frons very slightly emarginate. Short, black vitta extends from anterior edge of eye to base of antenna. Two reclinate fronto-orbital bristles, anterior bristle ca 0.7× length of posterior bristle; 1–3 setulae between fronto-orbital bristles, posterior fronto-orbital bristle ca 0.7× length of inner vertical seta. Other setal features of head as per genus (e.g. strong ocellar bristles, decussate postocellars, cluster of setulae on anterior of frons and two rows of postocular setae). Postcranium blackish grey, heavily overlaid with silver pruinescence. Scape, pedicel and postpedicel orange; scape recessed under frons (not visible in lateral view). Arista micropubescent. Face covered heavily by cream-silver pruinescence, 2 blackish dots on lower lateral face. Gena with silver-cream pruinescence. Maxillary palpus orange.

Thorax ( Fig. 6C ): Thorax weakly arched. Ground-colour brown, overlaid with grey-silver, pruinescent longitudinal vittae. Mesoscutum with 5 vittae: grey-silver medial vitta, brown submedial vittae and grey-silver dorsocentral vittae. Chaetotaxy: Setae of medial acrostichal rows large and robust (= setae), outer rows smaller (setulae); 1+3 dc; 1 postpronotal bristle, 1 presutural and 1 postsutural supra-alar bristle (+ setula), 2 notopleural bristles, 2 postalar bristles. Scutellum with thin, grey medial vitta, 2 broad, brown sublateral vittae, 2 lateral, grey-silver pruinescent vittae. Pleura brownish, heavily overlaid by silver-grey pruinescence, except for brownish edges to pleural sclerites and 2 brown spots on anepisternum; 1 anepisternal bristle, patch of setulae anterior and ventral to bristle, setular alveoli encircled by brown spots; 2 katepisternal bristles, anterior bristle weaker.

Legs: Procoxa pale yellow, profemur orange-brown with silver-grey pruinescence posteriorly. Protibia yellow, with black apical band. Protarsomere 1 yellow, other tarsomeres dark brown-orange. Mesocoxa yellow. Mesofemur yellow, with brown patch apicoventrally and light silver pruinescence. Mesotibia yellow, with brown ventral patch proximally and dark band apically. Mesotarsomeres yellow, except for distal 2, which are orange-brown. Metacoxa to metatarsomeres yellow, except for brown patch apicoventrally on metafemur, brown patch proximoventrally and brown band apically on metatibia, and brown distal 2 tarsomeres.

Wings ( Fig. 5C ): Basal costa, pterostigma and radial cells shaded brown. Brown longitudinal bars in cells R 1+2 and R 3+4, with apex shaded brown. 1 st posterior, discal and 3 rd posterior cells with brown barring. M 1+2 and M 3 and crossveins r–m and m–m shaded brown. Stump vein on M 1+2 shaded brown. Axillary vein (2a) extending beyond CuA+1A.

Abdomen: Tergites and sternites yellow, but often discolored to black. Setal alveoli surrounded by brown spots.

Male terminalia ( Figs 3A , 9 ): Protandrium not sufficiently investigated (sclerite damaged during dissections or badly contorted as a result thereof), but essentially saddle-shaped. Epandrium large, broader (longer) laterally than dorsally. Surstyli large, with narrow digitated processes extending mesad. Surstyli clearly differentiated from epandrium. Cerci simple, setulose. Aedeagus large, conspicuous, extrusive, flat, with recurved apex and sharp, subapical flanges. Aedeagus with striations ventrally, with sharp, narrow, prominent ridge dorsally that bifurcates basally. Hypandrium prominent, transverse sclerite with lobes projecting apically (posteriorly). Hypandrial lobes narrow, setulose basally and apically acuminate, resemble gonopods (which have become fused to the hypandrium). Aedeagal apodeme small and inconspicuous.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 12 ): Tergites narrowed from T5 onwards. Segment 7 is a syntergosternite. Cerci fairly long, flattened, setulose. S8 with truncate apex.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Cape Peninsula, Skoorsteenkop [34°02'S 18°23'E], 2.ii.1951, P. Brinck & G. Rudebeck ( NMSA, Type no. 2285).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 1♂ 1? Cape Peninsula, Hout Bay, Skoorsteenkop [34°02'S 18°23'E], 15.xii.1950, P. Brinck & G. Rudebeck ( NMSA) ; 2♂ 1♀ same data but 26.xii.1950 ( NMSA) ; 2♀ same data but xii.1950 ( NMSA) ; 2♀ same data but 22.i.1951 ( NMSA) ; 2♂ same data but 2.ii.1951 ( NMSA) ; 1♂ Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek [33°53'S 18°52'E], 5.xii.1980, G.A. Giliomee ( SUNC) ; 1♂ same locality, 2.ii.1981, L.M. du Preez ( SUNC) ; 1♂ 2♀ same locality, 4.ii.1981, L.M. du Preez ( SUNC) ; 1♂ same locality, 16.i.1982, G.A. Giliomee ( SUNC) ; 1♀ same locality, 11.ii.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 1♂ same locality, 6.iii.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 1? Riviersonderend [34°10'S 19°50'E], 12.iii.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 1? same locality, 7.i.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 1♀ Du Toit’s Kloof [33°43'S 19°10'E], 13.iii.1987, M. Wright ( SUNC) ; 1♀ Protea Heights [33°53'10"S 18°41'50"E], 5.iii.l985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 2♂ 1♀ 1? same locality, 11.xi.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 3♂ 1♀ same locality, 2.xii.1985, L.M. Latsky ( SUNC) ; 1♂ Tygerhoek [34°08'55"S 19°54'10"E], 13.xi.1985, J.H. Coetzee ( SUNC) ; 1♂ 35 km N of Mossel Bay, Robinson Pass [33°45'S 22°03'E], 12.i.1983, R.M. Miller & P. Stabbins ( NMSA) ; 1♂ Tsitsikamma area, Coldstream [33°55'S 23°03'E], 25–26.x.1964, B. & P. Stuckenberg ( NMSA) .

Distribution: Restricted to fynbos of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Ecological notes: Proteaphila maculosa has been collected from Protea repens (L.) L. and Protea neriifolia R.Br.

Figures

Figs 3, 4. (3) Schematic illustration of inner ♂ genitalia: (3A) Proteaphila maculosa sp. n., dorsal view; (3B) P. stuckenbergorum sp. n., ventral view; (4) lateral view of the different head shapes: (4A) P. stuckenbergorum sp. n., (4B) P. pajori sp. n., (4C) P. maculosa sp. n.

Fig. 5. Wings of Proteaphila: (A) fumose wing of P.stuckenbergorum sp. n.; (B) reticulate, patterned wing of P. pajori sp. n.; (C) longitudinally marked wing of P. maculosa sp. n.; (D) P. pajori sp. n., apex of right wing showing sapromyziform costa, i.e. stout costal setulae terminating well before apex of R4+5 (fine costal setulae not shown).

Fig. 6. Proteaphila maculosa sp. n., ♂: (A) habitus image showing intricately patterned wings with longitudinal brown markings, scale bar = 1 mm; (B) head, dorsal view, scale bar = 0.5 mm; (C) thorax, dorsal view, scale bar = 1 mm; (D) head, lateral view, scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig.9. Proteaphila maculosa sp. n., ♂ terminalia: (A) dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) lateral view.Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 12. Proteaphila maculosa sp. n., ♀ terminalia: (A) dorsal view; (B) lateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.