Morellia (M.) prolectata ( Walker, 1861 )

Pamplona, Denise, Nihei, Silvio S., Couri, Márcia S. & Pont, Adrian C., 2016, Taxonomy of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Muscidae): revision of the subgenera Morellia s. str. and Parapyrellia Townsend, Zootaxa 4163 (1), pp. 1-110 : 73-75

32. Morellia (M.) prolectata ( Walker, 1861)

( Figs 124–130 )

Anthomyia prolectata Walker, 1861: 317 . Type locality: SOUTH AFRICA, Kwa-Zulu-Natal. Holotype ♀, BMNH ( Stein 1901: 204; seen).

Cyrtoneura prelutata Stein, 1901: 204 . Unavailable name; proposed in synonymy with Anthomyia prolectata (erroneus citation of label).

Morellia abyssinica Séguy, 1935a: 108 . Type locality: ETHIOPIA, Alafa. Syntypes, Ƌ and ♀, MNHN (seen).

Redescription. Colour. Black, with silver pruinosity. Frontal vitta and fronto-orbital plate black; face and parafacial black with silver pruinosity; gena with grey pruinosity; antenna black with grey pruinosity; palpus brown; mesonotum metallic black with one silver-dusted central vitta on presutural acrostichals and grey on anterior half of postsutural acrostichals, and silver dusted on posterior half between acrostichals and dorsocentrals; scutellum grey pruinose laterally; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and other pleura silver pruinose; legs brown; haltere with brown stalk and yellowish knob; lower calypter brown, upper calypter whitish with brownish edge and on outer half white and opaque; wing without dark markings, but with a very faint spot just after humeral crossvein; abdomen with a shifting tessellated pattern and with silver pruinosity laterally and ventrally.

Male. Body length: 6.0– 6.5 mm; wing length: 5.0–6.0 mm.

Head. Eyes bare, separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.14–0.17 of head width; frons divergent towards lunule; ocellar triangle with a pair of setae and 3 pairs of setulae; 15–19 pairs of frontal setae; postpedicel 1.3–1.8 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2 setae and few setulae; arista plumose, with 14–18 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 4th to 7th cilia; vibrissa shorter than arista; 1 strong supravibrissal seta, half as long as vibrissa, and many other setulae that extend to basal fourth level of postpedicel; 4–5 subvibrissal setae followed by 7–8 genal setae.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+1; dorsocentrals 0+2; intra-alars 1+1; presutural 1; prealar 1; supra-alars 2; postpronotals 3; notopleuron with 2 long, subequal setae and covered with ground-setulae; postalars 2; intrapostalar 1; scutellum with 1 basal, 1 discal and 1 apical pairs of setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, the basalmost ones downcurved; postalar wall bare; suprasquamal ridge with short pile; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 3–4 long setae and a few setulae; prosternum broad and setulose; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 9 setae, with 3 weak setae upcurved on upper-anterior corner, and covered with short setulae; katepisternals 1+2; anepimeron extensively setulose; katepimeron with 2–4 setulae; anatergite bare; katatergite setulose. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae on apical two-thirds becoming shorter basad, and a complete posteroventral row of setae; fore tibia with a posterodorsal row of subequal and weak setae, 1 anterodorsal, 1 dorsal and 1 posteroventral preapical setae, a ventral apical seta, and a brush-like ctenidium on ventral surface; fore tarsus with some long setae on basal segment; mid femur with a tubercle at apex of anterior to posterodorsal surfaces bearing about 4 spines that continue as about 5 anterior short spines and about 6 anterior setae, 2 anterior setae on middle third, 5 posterodorsal setae on apical third, a ventral row of setae and a ventral excavation on apex; mid tibia narrowed at base, with an anterodorsal comb-like ctenidium of very short spinose setulae on basal half and fine setae on apical half, a dorsal row of very strong and very short setae, 5 posterodorsal setae on basal two-thirds, 3 posteroventral strong setae on basal two-thirds with 1 stronger seta on middle third, a ventral excavation at apex, 1 anterodorsal, 1 dorsal and 2 ventral preapical setae, and 1 anteroventral and 2 ventral apical setae; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae, strongest on apical third, an anterodorsal row of setae, 2 posterodorsal preapical setae, a group of posterior setulae at base and a few posteroventral setulae on apical fourth; hind tibia with 2 short anteroventral setae on apical half, an anterodorsal row of short setae of the middle one is longer, a dorsal row of short but strong setulae, a long and strong posterodorsal seta on apical third, 1 posterior seta on basal third, 1 dorsal and no anterodorsal preapical setae and 1 anteroventral and no posteroventral apical setae, and a posterior brush-like ctenidium on apical half; hind tarsus without modifications in shape or bristling. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu almost straight; stem-vein bare on dorsal surface, and ventrally with about 5 short setulae before humeral cross-vein and bare after humeral cross-vein; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose from base to after r-m on dorsal and ventral surfaces; 5–6 strong setae on basicosta.

Abdomen. With a lateral tuft of setulae on syntergite 1+2; tergites 4 and 5 with a few setae laterally; sternite 1 setulose; posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and with some setae laterally ( Fig. 124 ).

Terminalia. Outer apical half of cercal plate slightly convex; cercal plate ventrally with 3 spines; surstylus with setae basally and apically ( Figs 125–127 ); aedeagal apodeme narrowed apically; basiphallus long; aedeagus with spicules on anterior membrane of distiphallus; gonopod with 3 long and strong setae on basal half; paramere with many setae apically ( Fig. 128 ).

Female. Body length: 5.5–6.0 mm; wing length: 5.0–6.0 mm.

Similar to male, differing as follows: lower third of frontal plate with silver pruinosity; eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by about 0.33 of head width; fronto-orbital plate with 2 proclinate setae, 2 proclinate setulae and 2 reclinate setulae; mid femur without a tubercle and with only 4 setae on dorsal-posterodorsal apex, of which the most posteroventral is stronger; mid tibia without an anterodorsal comb-like ctenidium of very short spinose setulae on basal half and with 3 posterodorsal setae on basal two-thirds.

Ovipositor. Tergite 6 shaped as 2 golf-club-like rods, posteriorly with 2 small plates with setae; tergite 7 as 2 rods, posteriorly with setae; tergite 8 as 2 rods, anteriorly enlarged, posteriorly with 2 plates with spinose setae; sternite 6 as 1 plate with setae; sternite 7 as 1 rod, posteriorly with 1 plate with spinose setae; sternite 8 as 2 rods, posteriorly with 2 small plates with small spines; epiproct small, anteriorly deeply incised, with 4 spinose setae; hypoproct with many setae; cercus cylindrical and long ( Figs 129–130 ).

Material examined. ETHIOPIA: Alafa , 1850 m, 2.v.1907, H. Latham, 1 Ƌ and 1 ♀ syntypes of Morellia abyssinica Séguy ( MNHN) ; KENYA: Kakamega, Kakamega Forest, 5,100 feet, 18–22.i.1972, C.F. Huggins, 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀ ( BMNH) ; Ngong, Ngong Forest , Malaise trap, 13–20.iv.1978, P.J. Spangler, 1 Ƌ ( BMNH) ; 5–7 miles into Kenya Forest, near Luchi River, 9–10.ii.1911, T.J. Anderson, 1 Ƌ ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: Segibwa Falls , attracted by human faeces, 29.iii.1935, E.G. Gibbins, 1 ♀ ( BMNH) ; SOUTH AFRICA: Kwa-Zulu-Natal, holotype ♀ of Anthomyia prolectata Walker ( BMNH) .

Distribution. AFROTROPICAL: Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 124 – 130. Morellia (M.) prolectata (Walker). 124. Sternite 5, male. 125. Cercal plate, male. 126. Cercal plate, male, ventral view. 127. Left surstylus, male. 128. Phallic complex, lateral view. 129. Ovipositor, dorsal view. 130. Ovipositor and spermathecae, ventral view.