Delia platura ( Meigen, 1826 )

Ackland, D. M., 2008, Revision of Afrotropical Delia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), with descriptions of six new species, African Invertebrates 49 (1), pp. 1-75 : 63-64

Delia platura ( Meigen, 1826)

Figs 114–118

Anthomyia platura Meigen, 1826: 171 .

Chortophila cilicrura Rondani, 1866: 165 ; Stein 1913: 560.

Hylemyia cilicrura (Rondani) : Malloch 1924 b: 263; Emden 1941 b: 266; 1948: 166; 1951: 358; 1956: 530; Patterson 1956: 164.

Phorbia cilicrura (Rondani) : Cuthbertson 1936: 57.

Delia platura (Meigen) : Pont & Ackland 1980: 716.

For a full list of synonyms see Hennig (1974c: 881) and Griffiths (1993: 1578).

Diagnosis:

♂ Hind femur without extended row of pv, only a few preapical setae; hind tibia with row of numerous (23–30) pv setulose hairs of equal length (similar to D. florilega ); mid tarsomere 1 without fringe of long setulae on dorsal surface. Sternite V processes with two blunt apical setae.

Description: see Griffiths (1993).

Lectotype ♂ of platura in MNHN, designated by Hennig (1974 c: 884).

Syntypes of cilicrura in MZLS .

Other material examined:Too numerous to list in full. I have seen specimens from Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Ruanda, South Africa, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Probably found throughout the Afrotropical Region where suitable crops are grown.

Life history: D. platura is a cosmopolitan pest of agricultural crops, feeding on cruciferous roots, also cereals and a wide range of other crops. For a detailed survey of the biological literature, see Griffiths (1993: 1588).

Distribution: Cosmopolitan.

Figures

Figs 114–118. Delia platura (Mg.), male (Britain): (114) cercal plate and distiphallus; (115) ditto, lateral view; (116) sternite V; (117) gonites; (118) basiphallus and distiphallus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.