Leptocera austroafricana, Papp, 2012

Papp, L., 2012, A Review Of The Afrotropical Species Of Leptocera Olivier (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (3), pp. 225-258 : 228-231

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5735888
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C3878F-FFA3-DD34-FD9E-C0925153FD5C
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Leptocera austroafricana
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Leptocera austroafricana sp. n.

( Figs 1–12 View Figs 1–8 View Figs 9–16 )

Holotype male ( NMSA): MALAWI, Zomba Plateau, 13–14. xii. 1980, 1500 m, Londt & Stuckenberg. 1535 Ad. Montane forest .

Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female ( NMSA) , 1 male (HNHM, abdomen and genitalia prepared and preserved in a plastic microvial with glycerol): same as for holotype; 1 female ( NMSA): ibid., Mtchisi forest reserve, 1334 Ac, 1500 m, 3–4. xii.. Montane forest & woodland. SOUTH AFRICA : 1 male 1 female ( NMSA): S AFRICA: E Cape #7, 5 km W of Rhodes, 30° 49’ S: 27° 55’E, 1800 m. Date : 5. 11. 1992. Natal Museum Expedition, grassland & ravine. RWANDA GoogleMaps : 5 males 1 female ( HNHM, 2 males with gen. prep.): Rwanda , Volcanoes Nat. Park – 1988. V. 7., leg. Vojnits. Paratypes from Rwanda are slightly damaged: thoracic setae, and parts of legs missing, etc .

Measurements in mm: body length 2.45 (holotype), 1.87–2.55 (paratypes), wing length 2.23 (holotype), 2.03–2.30 (paratypes), wing width 1.01 (holotype), 0.85–1.04 (paratypes).

Body including facial plate and frons dark brown with grey microtomentum.

Anterior fronto-orbital pair only 3/5 of the length of the posterior pair. Gena below eye 0.12 mm, longest axis of eye 0.37 mm. 3 interfrontal pairs plus 1 minute thin interfrontal seta anteriorly. Genal seta well above peristomal setae but only 0.14 mm long. Aristal cilia 0.025 mm, similarly to the apical cilia on first flagellomere.

1+3 dorsocentral pairs, anterior dorsocentral pair well anterior to suture. 5 acrostichal macrochaetae: first pair about as long as presutural dc, 2nd pair slightly longer than presutural dorsocentral pair; 2 pairs plus a right-side one, some short acrostichals between them. Second scutellar pair as long as apical pair, 3rd pair half as long. Wing light brownish grey, veins light brown (ochre), venation as in the related species. Legs dark brown, only mid and hind tarsi ochre. Mid tibia with antero-dorsals at 5/53, 10/53, 17/53, 34/53 (0.22 mm long), a dorsal seta at 32/53 and a 0.25 mm long dorsal seta at 36/53; postero-dorsals at 10/53, 18/53, a perpendicular posterior seta at 36/53. Posterior apical setae on mid tibia both long: posterodorsal 0.10 mm and posteroventral 0.13 mm. Mid basitarsal seta 0.225 mm long.

One long latero-caudal pair of setae each on tergite 3 to tergite 5. Male sternite 5 ( Figs 2–3, 5 View Figs 1–8 ) large, medio-caudal desclerotised area wide and shallow, with dense microtrichia. Synsternite ( Fig. 3 View Figs 1–8 ) comparatively small, sternite 6 medium-long, sternite 7 and 8 rather small. Epandrium with long setae, particularly so ventrally. Cercus ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–8 ) long though small with 3–4 apical setae. Hypandrium ( Fig. 8 View Figs 1–8 ) with robust asymmetrical apodeme, which is much shorter than phallapodeme, medial part with the usual caudal process. Subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–8 ) small, 0.08 mm broad but only 0.09 mm high. Anterior part of surstylus ( Fig. 7 View Figs 1–8 ) with moderately long, tapered anteroventral process and broad rounded ventral lobe; the latter with numerous short setae on medial surface. Posterior part of mm for Figs 4–5, 8 View Figs 1–8 , 0.1 mm for Figs 1, 6–7 View Figs 1–8

surstylus ( Figs 1, 7 View Figs 1–8 ) with apical bristle only half as long as body of the surstylus. Postgonite ( Fig. 6 View Figs 1–8 ) with extremely long but not broad basal part, which has a posteroventral process. Apical part of postgonite slender with curved apex. Phallus 0.15 mm long with a strong melanised dorsal rib ( Fig. 4 View Figs 1–8 ). Phallapodeme ( Fig. 4 View Figs 1–8 ) much longer than hypandrial apodeme.

mm for Figs 9–10, 13–14, 16 View Figs 9–16 , 0.1 mm for Figs 11–12, 15 View Figs 9–16

Female tergite 8 ( Fig. 10 View Figs 9–16 ) with rather few setae on dorsal half, ventral half with medium-long setae only. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 11 View Figs 9–16 ) with a broad but short posteromedial lamella and with 2 pairs of short caudal setulae. Tergite 10 completely fused with cerci ( Fig. 9 View Figs 9–16 ), with a pair of medium-long seta on tergal part and with a longer pair of setae on cercal part. Spermathecae ( Fig. 12 View Figs 9–16 ) very characteristic with very long sclerotised ducts; shape oval, unpaired spermatheca sub-globular, all the three spermathecae with thin apically curved spicules on most of their surface.

Etymology. The specific epithet (“south African”) of the new species refers to its occurrence in the southern half of Africa.