Meuffelsia manningi Grichanov, 2008

Grichanov, Igor Ya. & Mostovski, Mike B., 2008, Meuffelsia, a new genus of long-legged flies from South Africa, with a key to Afrotropical peloropeodine and allied genera (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 159-159 : 164-166

Meuffelsia manningi Grichanov , sp. n.

Figs 8, 9

Etymology: The species is named after J. Manning, who collected the type series.

Description:

Male.

Similar to M. erasmusorum sp. n. in all respects except as noted.

Ratio of scape to pedicel to postpedicel to stylus, 3:2:3:18. Length ratio of fore tarsomeres from first to fifth, 10:4:3:3:4. Length ratio of mid tarsomeres from first to fifth, 12:6:4:3:4. Length ratio of hind tarsomeres from first to fifth, 10:8:6:4:6. Ratio of part of costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 to that between R 4+5 and M 1+2, 16:10. Ratio of apical to basal part of M 1+2, 60:28. Ratio of m–cu to apical part of CuA 1, 6:26.

Epandrium globular, asymmetrical, distinctly (1.5×) longer than high, as wide as high; hypopygium with rounded-ovate densely haired cercus; hypandrium mostly concealed, asymmetrical, slightly shifted towards left side, deeply bifurcated from its midlength (ventral view), with broad, apically pointed lobes almost equal in length and shape; aedeagus expanded at apex, with adjacent long thin process; ventral surface of epandrium bare; distal epandrial lobes short and broad, bare, without projections; surstyli flat, asymmetrical, with left dorsal arm 2× length of right, both broad (dorsal view), bearing a few weak setae, and ventral arms of surstyli directed ventrad, subequal in length, each wider in proximal half where it bears 3 or 4 strong pedunculate setae, and distinctly thinner in distal half that is devoid of setae.

Measurements (mm): Body length 1.4, antenna length 0.4, wing length 1.4, wing width 0.5, hypopygium length 0.4.

Female.

Similar to male except lacking male secondary sexual characters. Similar to female M. erasmusorum sp. n. in all respects.

Measurements (mm): Body length 1.3, antenna length 0.35, wing length 1.5, wing width 0.5.

Holotype (in glycerol): ơ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Umlaas Road , 29°40'35"S: 30°29'20"E, alt. 747 m, 24.xi.1982, J. Manning, rolling grassland, small vegetated stream – on stones in & along water, dappled sunlight.

Paratype (on pin): ^same data as holotype.

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 2^Ashburton , 29°39'24"S: 30°26'25"E, alt. 625 m, 26.xii.1982, J. Manning .

Note: Females from Ashburton have been assigned to M. manningi sp. n. tentatively on the basis of a subtle similarity in the wing venation (the position of m–cu), and their origin from a nearby locality. Otherwise, one would expect difficulty in a confident identification of isolated females.

Comparison: The two described species can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Nevertheless, wing vein m–cu is located slightly closer to the wing base in M. erasmusorum than in M. manningi ; therefore, wing vein ratios differ somewhat in both males and females of the two species. The species are easily distinguished by hypopygium morphology. The hypandrium is deeply bifurcated, with almost equal lobes in M. manningi , but with only a large triangular lobe on the right side of the main arm in M. erasmusorum . The surstyli are rather distinct in their shape and setation pattern, and their ventral arm in M. manningi is peculiar in bearing several long and strong pedunculate setae on the basal half.The latter species also has a somewhat more elongated epandrium and smaller cercus than M. erasmusorum . It is also worth noting that the left dorsal arm is shorter than the right one in M. erasmusorum , and vice versa in M. manningi .

Figures

Figs 8, 9. Meuffelsia manningi Grichanov, sp. n., hypopygium, left and right lateral aspects. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.