Atherigona kirkspriggsi, Muller, 2015

Muller, B. S., 2015, Illustrated key and systematics of male South African Atherigona s. str. (Diptera: Muscidae), African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 845-845 : 875-877

Atherigona kirkspriggsi sp. n.

Fig. 33

Etymology: Named in honour of the collector of the holotype and the majority of the paratypes, Dr Ashley Kirk-Spriggs.

Diagnosis: This species keys close to A. lineata torrida Deeming, 1971 when Deeming (1970) and Dike (1989 a) are used, but differs from it in having the hypopygial prominence tridentate and not bifurcate. Also, the mid and hind leg tarsi are infuscated compared to that of A. lineata torrida which appears brown. A. kirkspriggsi also has a submedial posteroventral seta on the front femur. A. kirkspriggsi is also similar to A. occidentalis Deeming, 1971 but differs from it significantly with regards to the overall structure of the trifoliate process and hypopygial prominence ( Fig. 33 vs. Fig. 32 ).

Description:

Male.

Measurement s: Body length: 4.06 mm; wing: 3.255 mm; r­m crossvein ratio: 0.380.

Head: Ground colour dark. All head setae and setulae infuscated. Occiput grey dusted posteriorly and laterally with narrow median part glossy. Ocellar triangle grey dusted, sub-shining. Frontal vitta wholly infuscated, appearing velvety. Frontal plate silver-grey dusted, sub-shining around bases of the posterior pair of proclinate frontal and two pairs of orbital setae; three pairs of frontal setae and two weak pairs of frontal setulae half the length of setae; Parafacial silver-grey dusted, slightly wider than aristal base; jowls appearing gold dusted. Scape, pedicel and postpedicel infuscated. Arista dark-brown. Palpus infuscated; slight apical dilation with very subtle truncation, with hyaline setulae.

Thorax: Ground colour dark. Postpronotal lobe gold dusted, with three setae and 12 setulae. Pleura golden-grey dusted. Proepisternum somewhat protruding compared to other species. Scutum grey dusted, with three weak and barely visible 2-4 dorsocentral vittae, stopping before scutellum. Scutellum grey dusted; one pair of basal setae, one pair of discal setae and eight discal setulae; one pair of subbasal setae and one pair of apical setae, equal in length.

Legs: Forelegs infuscated except for basal half and extreme apex of femur and base of tibia which are yellow. Mid and hind legs yellow except for infuscated tarsi.

Leg chaetotaxy: Fore femur with one submedial posteroventral seta; fore tarsi without any specialised chaetotaxy.

Wings: Hyaline. Veins dark-brown. Halteres wholly yellow. Calypters white.

Abdomen: All tergites yellow, grey dusted on dorsolateral surface of tergite 3; tergite 1+2 with two large dark-brown trapezoidal markings with a median longitudinal vitta running between them down to tergite 4 (large markings absent in some specimens), only interrupted at the start of each new tergite; tergite 3 with two large dark-brown almost teardrop shaped marks taking up entire length of dorsum; tergite 4 with two small round markings, taking up a third of dorsal surface; tergite 5 immaculate. Hypopygial prominence tridentate, with each lobe equal in size, anteriorly with faint setulae. Trifoliate process stem 3× the length of the apical process, entire process including stem infuscated with the exception of a hyaline area which consist of the hood and its surroundings; median piece apically dilated in posterior view (wider than lateral plates) as well as in profile, although more gradual and less pronounced; lateral plates only somewhat wider in profile than median piece, posteriorly in the shape of a boomerang, inner lobes absent; hood reduced in size. Surstylus not infuscated.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Free State: Geluksdal farm, 27°54'7.05"S 29°23'31.9"E, sparse Leucosedes [ Leucosidea ] dominated scrub, 9–10.xi.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 13290).

Paratypes: Eastern Cape: 1♂ Grahamstown (plot 5280), Three Chimneys farm, 33°18.542'S 26°29.846'E, 2–13.iii.2008, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( AMGS) ; 1♂ Grahamstown, Albany Museum grounds, 33°18.822'S 26°31.315'E, 15–23.x.2007, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( AMGS) ; Free State: 1♂ Geluksdal farm, 27°54'7.05"S 29°23'31.9"E, sparse Leucosedes [ Leucosidea ] dominated scrub, 9–10. xi.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 13287); 1♂ Harrismith, Mooihoekkop, 28°18'50.0"S 29°10'51.1"E, 1800 m, Leucosedes [ Leucosidea ] dominated scrub, 14–16.ix.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 09851); 5♂ Harrismith, Scotland farm, 27°58'59.5"S 29°37'09.8"E, dense Leucosedes [ Leucosidea ] dominated scrub, 10–12.xi.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 12774, 12765, 12775, 12782, 12772); KwaZulu­Natal: 1♂ Newcastle, 27°44'21"S 29°52'34"E, xii.1952 ( NHMUK) ; 1♂ Royal Natal National Park, Thendele, 28°42.378'S 28°56.083'E, 1600 m, Leucosedes [ Leucosidea ] dominated scrub, 15–17.ii.2010, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap ( BMSA (D) 19760); 1♂ North West Province : Brits , 25°38'5"S 27°46'48"E, 25.x.1952, Paterson ( NHMUK) .

Distribution: South Africa.

Figures

Figs 28–36. Atherigona spp.: trifoliate process and hypopygial prominence of (28) A. oblonga sp. n.; (29) A. libertensis sp. n.; (30) A. angustiloba van Emden; (31) A. albicornis sp. n.; (32) A. occidentalis Deeming; (33) A. kirkspriggsi sp. n.; (34) A. perfida Stein; (35) A. chirinda Dike; (36) A. cinarina Séguy. Not to scale.