Atherigona (Atherigona) falcata ( Thomson, 1869 )

Deeming, John C. & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2024, A contribution to the knowledge of Namibian Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies, Zootaxa 5536 (4), pp. 501-535 : 510-511

Atherigona (Atherigona) falcata ( Thomson, 1869)

Coenosia falcata Thomson, 1869: 560 .

Atherigona nudiseta Malloch, 1923: 186 .

Atherigona falcata : Deeming 1975: 2, figs 1, 2; Dike 2003: 219 (distribution); Muller 2015: 870, fig. 23; Deeming 2022: 126.

Previous record: Ongeama ( Deeming 1975: 2); Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E; Susuwe, 17°45'37''S, 23°20'55''E; Kwando River, Meander, 17°50'49''S, 23°18'53''E ( Deeming 2022: 126).

Material examined: 18♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 23–27.xii.2002, A .H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample; 4♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 01–04.iii.2001, A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise trap sample ; 1♂, Kaudom Game Reserve, Leeupan , 15°03'S, 20°38'E, 23.ii.1992, E. Marais & M. Pusch ; 1♂, Opuwa District, Ekuja Village , Kunene River, 17°18'30''S, 13°48'56''E, 11–12.x.1999, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap, riverine forest ; 1♂, Opuwa District, Epupa , 35 km E: Kunene River, 17°03'37''S, 13°29'32''E, 09–11.x.1999, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap, shaded woodland ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, Kwando River, Susuwe , 17°45'37''S, 23°20'55''E, 28.ix–02.x.1996, A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise trap, dry woodland (all NMNW) ; 2♂, 4♀, Kwando River, Meander , 17°50'49''S, 23°18'53''E, 05.xii.1999, D.J. Mann, swept from floating vegetation, mainly grasses (all NMWC) .

Remarks: One of the males from Susuwe (cited above) has the frontal vitta black, rather than the usual yellow, but in other characters agrees with A. (s. str.) falcata . The only two species known to have two such forms of colouration of the frontal vitta are A. (s. str.) budongoana and A. (s. str.) secrecauda . Pont & Magpayo’s (1995: 54) listing of 22 host-plants in the Australasian and Oriental Regions, coupled with the fact that this species was only first encountered in the Afrotropics in 1970, would indicate that it would have had a different choice of possible host-plants and that this may have brought about such a change in certain specimens. In material of A. (s. str.) falcata there is a striking difference in size, indicating that differing host shoots offer greater or lesser quantities of nutrition for the development of larvae.

Distribution: (Afrotropical): Ethiopia, Namibia and South Africa; (Australasia): Australia and Papua New Guinea; (Oriental): Bangladesh, Bhutan *, China (incl. Hong Kong), India, Indonesia (Sulawesi), Lord Howe Is., Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand *. 1♂ “ Bhutan, Gaylegphu, rice field, 26.x–5.xii.1988, C. Dorji” and 1♂ “N. Thailand, N. Chiang Mai, Erawan Resort, 2300 ft., 23.xi.1985, K. A. Spencer” deposited in NMWC represent new country records.

Host-plants: Pont & Magpayo (1995: 54) listed 21 poaceous host-plant species from India in the Oriental Region, including Sorghum , Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and Maize, Zea mays L. and a further plant species in Australia.