Calamoncosis flavida Wheeler & Solecki

Wheeler, Terry A. & Solecki, Anna M., 2013, New species of Calamoncosis Enderlein (Diptera: Chloropidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3702 (4), pp. 379-385 : 381-382

Calamoncosis flavida Wheeler & Solecki sp. n.

( Figs. 4–7 )

Diagnosis: This species may be distinguished from other described Afrotropical Calamoncosis by the enlarged yellow first flagellomere.

Description: Total length 1.7–1.9 mm; head + thorax length 1.2–1.3 mm. Overall colour shining dark brown; head slightly higher than long, frons densely microtomentose, appearing velvety, interfrontal and fronto-orbital setulae fine, pale, about as dense as setulae on scutum; frontal triangle approximately 0.7–0.8 times length of frons, polished, including ocellar tubercle, striated laterally, with pale setulae in 2 irregular punctate rows near lateral margin, slightly longer and stronger than interfrontals; inner vertical seta barely differentiated from interfrontals, outer vertical seta and postocellars stronger, black; ocellars pale, ocellars reclinate, postocellars subparallel or convergent; eye with sparse ommatrichia, each hair approximately as long as diameter of 2 ommatidia; gena brown, divided, genal height slightly more than 0.1 times eye height; vibrissal angle acute, not extending beyond anterior margin of eye; face black with carina narrow, complete; antenna with pedicel dark yellow, first flagellomere ( Fig. 4 ) very large, each covering half the face and approximately three times as high as gena, round, yellow, slightly angulate at apex, with area surrounding apex and distal edge brown, arista short, medium brown, pubescent with thick base; palpus about as long as gena, yellow; proboscis brown, long, geniculate.

Scutum shining but densely punctate, evenly covered with long, pale setulae; thoracic setae: 1 anterior and 2 posterior notopleural, 1 postalar, 1 postsutural intra-alar, 1 dorsocentral stronger and darker than surrounding setulae; scutellum round, wider than long, punctate and rugose dorsally, apical scutellar setae missing in type specimens but distinct tubercles present, close together, one pair of subapical setae, longer than other scutellar setae, arising from small but distinct tubercles, other scutellar setae as strong as scutal setulae; thoracic pleurites mostly bare, anepisternum with weak, short, pale setulae posteriorly, katepisternum with sparse, pale setulae. Legs: femora brown with yellow apices, fore and mid tibiae yellow with brown shading in middle, hind tibia yellow with distinct band in middle, tarsi yellow; male mid-femoral organ a dense patch of 25–30 small tubercles with minute setulae, hind-tibial organ indistinct, apparent as an oval, velvety patch. Wing faintly brownish, veins pale brown, ratio of costal sectors C1: C2: C3: C4–1: 1.1: 0.6: 0.4; halter yellow.

Abdomen slightly paler than thorax, shining.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 5–7 ): epandrium higher than long in lateral view, broad in posterior view, with setae on posterior half; surstylus large, rounded, with sparse, weak setae, ventral margin with several fine teeth; hypandrium robust anteriorly; pregonites, postgonites and phallic guide all well-sclerotized; postgonites with weak setulae posteriorly; basiphallus well-sclerotized, distiphallus longer than basiphallus, membranous; cerci fused medially, not projecting ventrally as in many Oscinellinae , indistinctly sclerotized; subepandrial sclerite not well-developed.

Female unknown.

Type material: Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Kruger National Park, Roodewal, 17.xii.1985, P.M. Sanborne (LEM). Paratype: East Transvaal: Guernsey Farm, 15km E Klaserie, 19–31.xii.1985, P.M. Sanborne, Malaise (1♂, LEM).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin flavida (yellow), referring to the colour of the antenna and palpus.

Remarks: An additional specimen from Kenya (Ungoye Down, 03-17.vii.2005, R. Coupland, Malaise trap, 1♂, LEM) is similar to C. flavida except that the legs are almost entirely yellow and the specimen is larger (head + thorax length = 1.7 mm). We hesitate to include it as a paratype of C. flavida or to describe it as a new species until more specimens are examined.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. Calamoncosis flavida. 4. male head, anterolateral. 5. male genitalia, lateral. 6. male genitalia, posterior. 7. male genitalia, ventral. Abbreviations: cer – cerci, epd – epandrium, hyp – hypandrium, ph – phallus, phap – phallapodeme, pog – postgonite, sur – surstylus.