Atherigona (Acritochaeta) afrotropicalis Deeming, 2020

Dawah, Hassan A., Abdullah, Mohammed A. & Deeming, John C., 2020, The Muscidae (Diptera) of Saudi Arabia, descriptions of two new species, new records and updated list of species, Zootaxa 4869 (1), pp. 1-54 : 28

Atherigona (Acritochaeta) afrotropicalis Deeming sp. nov.

Male, female ( Fig. 41 & 42 ; A,B,C)

Type material examined. Holotype male, BOTSWANA: Gabarone , Tlokweng, 6–13.iii.1990, Malaise trap in sorghum field, J.M. Mashonja ( NMWC) . Paratypes 20m, same data as holotype ; 6m, Tlokweng , 26.i. 1990, J.M. Mashonja ; 2m, SAUDI ARABIA, Abha , Al-Souda, Bani Mazen, 18°12’N 42°27’E, 19.vi–9.vii.2013, Malaise trap, H.A.Dawah ; 4m, YEMEN: Ar Rujum , 9.iv–5.vi.2001, A. van Harten ; 2m, Ar Rujum , i–iv.2001, Malaise trap, A. van Harten (all in NMWC) .

Type locality. Botswana, Gabarone , Tlokweng .

Diagnosis. In the most recent key to the Afrotropical species of the subgenus Acritochaeta Grimshaw , being that of Dike (1990), the new species would trace to A. orientalis Schiner , from which it differs by colouration, wing venation and structure of the male postabdomen, but in the male shares with it the very distinctive dorsoapical excision of the fore femur, this set about by identical compact short curved setulae, the lack of specialised chaetotaxy of the fore tarsus, the similar structure and chaetotaxy of the palpus and the completely hyaline wing. In terms of the position of the anterior crossvein on the discal cell, which resembles that of species of Atherigona sensu stricto, this species is most unusual for the subgenus Acritochaeta . A. (Acritochaeta) fuscicephala Dike , described from Nigeria, shares with the new species the more basally-situated anterior crossvein. However, that species is distinctive in its black shiny parafrontalia and in having the thorax yellow throughout and golden dusted. The differences separating the two species are as follows:

Figures

FIGURE 42. Atherigona (Acritochaeta) afrotropicalis Deeming sp. nov. Male. A) Cercal plate and surstyli from behind; B) Aedeagus; (C) Fifth sternite from beneath;.

FIGURE. 37–41. Muscidae species habitus: 37) Atherigona (Atherigona) reversura Villeneuve, 1936, Male; 38) Atherigona (Atherigona) soccata Rondani, 1871, Male; 39) Atherigona (Atherigona) theodori Hennig, Female; 40) Atherigona (Atherigona) varia (Meigen, 1826), Male; 41) Atherigona (Acritochaeta) afrotropicalis Deeming sp.n., Male.