Phlebothrix judithmastersae, Mostovski, 2004

Mostovski, Mike B., 2004, New records of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from South Africa, with description of a new species and hitherto unknown males, African Invertebrates 45, pp. 125-125 : 133-134

Phlebothrix judithmastersae sp. n.

Figs 6–8

Etymology: Named after Dr Judith Masters, in whose garden the holotype and some paratypes were collected.

Description:

Male.

Frons, antennae, thorax, and abdomen dark brown, palpi brown to yellowish brown, all legs light brown or yellowish brown, hypopygium brown, with anal tube brownish yellow. Frons with 12 reclinate bristles: sant, ant, al, ml, pl, and oc; ml at the level of anterior ocellus, ant as wide apart as posterior ocelli and higher on frons than al. Patch of about 20–25 fine hairs in front of sant, about 20 somewhat longer and stronger hairs scattered in between frontal bristles, bunch of 6–9 longish hairs in the middle of ocellar triangle. Third antennal segment ovate, sometimes slightly pear­shaped or slightly elongated, with numerous small (0.01 mm) SPS vesicles; arista subapical. Palpus triangular clavate, with 2 short apical bristles, 1 longish lateroventral bristle, and 25–35 ventral hairs. Labella relatively small, with several curved ventrolateral and lateroapical bristle­like hairs and minute ventral spinules. Each side of thorax with 1 h, 1 ppl, 4 npl, 1 sa, 1 pa, 1 psc. Scutellum with 4 strong bristles and several small hairs. Mesopleuron with hairs arranged in two patches, along its rear margin and in its centre. Wing length 1.69–2.23 mm. Costal index 0.55–0.58, costal ratios 0.97–1.06:1 or 5.83– 8.25:4.67–8:1, costal cilia 0.05–0.07 mm long. Vein Sc complete. R 1 with 7–17 hairs, RS with 8–16 hairs, anterior arm of RS fork sometimes faint or missing. Axillary ridge with 6–15 bristles. Haltere with yellowish stem and brown knob with greyish apex. Fore tibia with 5–8 short bristles in distal two thirds. Mid tibia with pair of short near dorsal bristles in basal quarter. Hind tibia usually with four anteroventral bristles, sometimes with five, rarely with three. Abdominal tergites with scattered hairs, which noticeably longer on tergite 6. Additionally, one long bristle on each side of tergite 6. Abdominal venter bare. Posterior margin of left side of epandrium clearly excavated ( Fig. 6 ). Posterior margin of right side of epandrium irregularly convex, its lower corner extended into almost parallel­sided process ( Fig. 7 ).

Female.

Frons, antennae, thorax, and abdominal tergites brown, abdominal venter brownish gray, palpi brownish yellow, all legs yellow, although femora brownish yellow. Frons approximately 1.4 times as wide at level of posterior ocelli as high. Frontal setation as in male, but ant wider apart than posterior ocelli and there are 13 hairs in front of sant; these hair almost as long as those in between frontal bristles. Ocellar triangle with only 4 hairs. Third antennal segment rounded triangular, with several small (0.01 mm) SPS vesicles; arista subapical. Palpus slender, with 1 longish apical bristles, 1 shorter preapical bristle, and approx. 25 ventral hairs; deep sensorial pit forming lateral swelling with wide orifice developed ( Fig. 8 ). Labella as in male. Setation pattern of thorax, scutellum and mesopleuron as in male except for 2 ppl. Wing length 2.03 mm. Costal index 0.56, costal ratios 5.5:5.3:1, costal cilia 0.08–0.09 mm long. Vein Sc complete. R 1 with 9 hairs, RS forked, with 3 hairs. Axillary ridge with 5 bristles. Haltere with yellowish stem and brown knob with greyish apex. Setation pattern of legs as in male. Apex of hind tibia about 3.5 times as wide as its base. Abdominal tergites with short scattered hairs, which noticeably longer on tergite 6. Additionally, two long bristles on each side of tergite 6. Tergite 7 with longish hairs along its rear margin. Abdominal pleura 1–6 with longish hairs. Abdominal venter bare on segments 1 and 2, with median patch of hairs on segment 3, with normally developed setation on segments 4–6, and with hairs along rear margin of segment 7. In addition to that, a median pair of long hairs developed on each of segments 4–6.

Comparison: Ph. judithmastersae males differ from the type species of the genus in the posterior margin of the left side of the epandrium being distinctly excavated, posterior margin of the right side of the epandrium being not evenly convex, and in having its lower corner extended into almost parallel­sided, not clavate process, as well as in having more hairs on frons. Ph. judithmastersae females differ from the other species in having higher frons (approx. 1.4 times as wide as high against 1.6–1.9 times in Ph. cochlearipalpis ), palpus bearing more distinct swelling that embraces the sensorial pit and having one bristle in the preapical position (the swelling is barely distinct in Ph. cochlearipalpis although the sensorial pit is well developed, both bristles are apical ( Fig. 9 )) and apically widened hind tibia (with its apex being approximately 3.5 times as wide as its base against 2.4–2.8 times in Ph. cochlearipalpis ).

Material examined: holotype _, SOUTH AFRICA : KwaZulu­Natal: Pietermaritzburg, Hilton (29º32'30.7"S: 30º18'18.4"E), 1131 m, 13–23.xi.2003, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski, paratypes: 2 _, same data as holotype except 28.x–12.xi.2003; 1 _, same data except 15–26.i.2004; 2 _, Pietermaritzburg, Hilton, uMngeni Municipality landfill site, 21– 26.ix.2004, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski; 1 _, Queen Elizabeth Park Res. (29º34.157'S: 30º19.299'E), 1–5.xii.2003, Malaise trap, forest patch, J.G.H. Londt & M. Mostovski; 1 _, Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush, iv.1977, Malaise trap, R. Miller; 1 _, Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary (30º53.3'S: 30º20.4'E), 10.vii–8.viii.2004, Malaise trap near stream, M. Mostovski; 1 _ 1^, same data except 9.viii–2.ix.2004; Eastern Cape: 2 _, Port Elizabeth , Cape Recife Area , 3425BA, 22–27.xii.1985, J.G.H. Londt (all paratypes in NMSA except one male in the Zoological Museum of Cambridge University , UK, and one male in the Los Angeles County Museum , USA) .

Distribution: South Africa: Southern KwaZulu­Natal, Eastern Cape.

Figures

Figs 5–9. Poorly known and new species of South African scuttle flies. 5. Borophaga rufibasis Beyer, left side of epandrium. 6–8. Phlebothrix judithmastersae sp. n. 6, 7. Left and right sides of epandrium. 8. Female palpus. 9. Phlebothrix cochlearipalpis, female palpus. Scale bar 0.1 mm.