Manicomyia Hancock, 1986

Freidberg, Amnon & Han, Ho-Yeon, 2012, A second species of Manicomyia Hancock (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephrellini), African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 143-143 : 144-149

Genus Manicomyia Hancock, 1986

Manicomyia: Hancock 1986: 18 (Type species: Afreutreta chirindana Munro , by original designation); Norrbom et al. 1999: 165 [ Tephritidae catalogue].

Diagnosis: Within the group of Acanthaceae-feeding genera, Manicomyia is particularly similar to Elaphromyia Bigot, 1859 , Platensina Enderlein, 1911 , and Pterope , differing from these by the relatively high face (e. g., antenna only about 0.5× as long as face height, distinctly longer in the other genera). The wing pattern of Elaphromyia is probably the most similar to that of Manicomyia , but unlike the other genera, Elaphromyia is not sexually dimorphic in the wing pattern. Platensina differs from the other three genera, including Manicomyia , by a unusually wide wing. Pterope differs from Manicomyia by the primarily yellow body and unique wing pattern. This entire group requires a revision employing cladistic and molecular evidence before more definite conclusions about its taxonomy can be stated.

Manicomyia includes two sexually dimorphic species ( Figs 1–4 ).

Redescription:

Male.

Head ( Figs 5, 6 ): Structure: Head ca 1.4× as high as long; eye 1.61–1.73× as high as long; frontofacial angle ca 135°, only slightly protuberant; face high, ca 0.95× as high as frons length; ventral facial margin slightly or not protuberant; antenna 0.5–0.6× as long as face height; flagellomere 1 1.9–2.1× as long as high and 1.6–1.8× as long as pedicel, rounded apically; arista with rays ca as long as width of arista at base; frons 1.0–1.1× as long as wide; face 1.7–1.9× as high as wide at narrowest point; parafacial ca as wide as arista at base; gena 2–3× as wide as parafacial; proboscis capitate; palpus wide, length:width proportion ca 2.5. Chaetotaxy: Complete set of setae present; medial vertical, ocellar, orbital (2), frontal (3 or 4) and genal setae acuminate and dark (yellowish brown to blackish brown); lateral vertical seta acuminate and whitish; postocellar and paravertical setae lanceolate and yellowish; postoculars comprising 4–7 unequal, relatively long yellowish lanceolate setae, evenly or not evenly spaced, with 0–7 small, mostly brown, nearly acuminate setulae interspersed between each two yellowish setae, sometimes also with few short yellowish lanceolate setulae; setae on postgena and occiput slightly lanceolate; anterior orbital seta longer than ocellar seta, situated at mid-length of frons, slightly posteriad to and almost aligned with posterior frontal seta; posterior orbital seta about as long as posterior or middle frontal setae; frontal setae generally decreased in size anteriorly; anterior frontal seta often 0.3× as long as posterior frontal seta, sometimes setula-like; small fourth frontal seta rarely present; frons with fine yellow to brown setulae; gena with two irregular rows of short fine brown setulae extending to vibrissal corner; row of fine whitish setulae ascending along parafacial to about height of tip of antenna. Colouration and vestiture: Yellow to reddish yellow with fine whitish microtrichia.

Thorax: Structure: Scutum length:width proportion 1.08–1.23 (mean 1.15; n =8); scutellum flat, triangular. Colouration and vestiture: Ground colour of scutum brownish, sometimes paler anteriorly; postpronotum, notopleural area and scutellum yellow, last mentioned with some darker spots; pleura irregularly brownish and yellow; subscutellum and mediotergite brown to black; ground colour obscured by generally homogenous delicate, whitish microtrichia (more conspicuous on katepisternum) and pale setulae; sockets of major setae, especially dorsocentral, acrostichal and scutellar, dark brown to blackish; dark colouration sometimes extends beyond sockets especially around base of apical scutellar seta; larger subshiny black spot present posterior to wing base (best observed when wing oriented ventrally). Setulae predominantly fine and yellow, somewhat sparse, on mesonotum arranged uniformly or in 4 or 5 partly merged longitudinal patches. Chaetotaxy: Normal: No distinguishable scapular setae; 1 dorsocentral seta (aligned halfway between transverse suture and anterior supra-alar seta), 1 acrostichal, 1 postpronotal, 1 presutural supra-alar, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 2 notopleural, posterior shorter and lanceolate, 2 anepisternal, ventral shorter, 1 katepisternal, 1 anepimeral, 2 scutellar setae, apical seta about 0.8× as long as basal seta.All setae acuminate and yellow to brown, except posterior notopleural slightly lanceolate and yellow.

Legs: Without overt features, entirely yellow, with yellow or brownish setae and setulae; femora, especially fore femur, sometimes blackish, discoloured; setation normal, although setae mostly small, except row of 4–6 posteroventral setae on fore femur and mid-tibial spine large and conspicuous.

Wing ( Figs 7, 9 ): Pattern: Complex, but with only little intraspecific and intrasexual variation; clearly dimorphic, albeit differently in the two species (females of both species ( Figs 8, 10 ), briefly compared here to males, but described in detail in the female section below, are similar and characterised by elongate dark area or band along posterior part of wing, dotted with numerous subhyaline spots, and broadened apically, filling entire apical third of wing). Male of M. stuckenbergi sp. n. ( Fig. 9 ) differs from conspecific female in the much smaller number of subhyaline spots and in more extensive dark pattern, reaching costa also in middle of wing, thus having Platensina - type of pattern. Conversely, male of M. chirindana (Munro) ( Fig. 7 ) with more discrete blackish band (not broadened apically) than in conspecific female and in both sexes of M. stuckenbergi ( Elaphromyia - type of pattern), combined with two striking yellow or orange patches in anterior half of wing. Venation and setulae: Pterostigma about 2.5× as long as wide; longitudinal veins mostly straight; vein R 2+3 slightly sinuous; veins R 4+5 and M generally parallel, their distal sections slightly curved posteriorly; crossvein proportion 1.5–2.4; posterodistal lobe of cell bcu short, but conspicuous. Subcostal break with two costal spines, ventral spine ca 2× as long as dorsal spine and about as long as apical (bent) section of subcostal vein; vein R 1 with uninterrupted row of setulae dorsally and 1–7 (n =10) setulae near apex ventrally; vein R 4+5 dorsally with 10–24 setulae basal to crossvein r–m and 10–18 setulae distal to this crossvein, ventrally with 6–17 setulae basal to crossvein r–m and 0–3 setulae distal to this crossvein (n =20). Wing length:width proportion 2.2–2.4 (n =16). Haltere stem yellow, knob black or blackish; calypteres more-or-less equally wide, hyaline, with margin of dorsal calypter partly blackened.

Abdomen: Structure: Oval. Colouration and vestiture: Pattern comprised of blackish spots on yellow background, virtually the same in both species. Pattern obscured in discoloured specimens in which larger areas appear dark. Pairs of blackish spots include: (a) submedial spots including: (1) larger, but slightly less discrete spots on T1 and T2 (these tergites clearly separated by yellow suture), those on T1 extending almost over entire length of tergite, those on T2 extending only over anterior 0.3 of tergite; and (2) two (pairs) of smaller and more discrete sub-circular spots on T4 and T5, extending over 0.4–0.7 of tergal length, not reaching posterior margin of tergites; and (b) smaller, elongate, more discrete and anterolateral spots on T2–T5, extending over 0.4–0.7 of tergal length, not reaching posterior margin of tergites. Chaetotaxy: T5 posteriorly with 4–6 (pairs) of brown, acuminate marginal setae. Setulae mostly yellowish, more-or-less lanceolate, laterally and anterolaterally on tergites brown; setulae at posterior margin of tergites slightly longer.

Terminalia (11–17): Typical of Tephrellini , including rounded or oval epandrium and small moderately sclerotised glans; sclerotisation in form of two hoods, one inside the other; vesica distinct, 0.25–0.30× as long as glans.

Female.

Thorax. Wing ( Figs 8, 10 ): Pattern: Different from male pattern both in general look and in distribution of hues: general pattern comprises more-or-less discrete dark longitudinal band extending along entire wing, from posterobasal part to apex, considerably widened in distal half, first posteriorly, then anteriorly, virtually filling entire wing surface beyond level of crossvein dm–cu; this dark area usually extends anteriorly clearly to, or almost to, vein R 4+5 and is bordered by faintly reticulate or hyaline areas, except distal to level of crossvein dm–cu. Dark band blackish and brown with numerous small to medium-sized sub-hyaline (=yellowish) spots mostly arranged somewhat irregularly in 1 or 2 longitudinal rows along each longitudinal cell. Posterior part of large anterior hyaline area (in cell r 2+3) mostly sub-hyaline, comprised of grey spots partly over yellowish background.

Abdomen: Essentially similar to male, with following differences: T6 with blackish lateral spots as in preceding tergites, but no submedial spots, and with three pairs of conspicuous brownish setae, as large as those on T5 of male; setae on T5 of female distinct, but shorter than setae on T5 of male.

Terminalia ( Figs 18–22 ): Oviscape ( Figs 2, 4 ): Yellow, subshiny, conical in living specimens, flattened in dried specimens, with fine brown setulae; tergal-oviscapal measure 2–3. Aculeus ( Figs 18–21 ) typical for Tephrellini , elongate, with narrow needle-like distal part. Spermathecae 2 ( Fig. 22 ), oval, ca 2× as long as wide; distal broadened membranous part of spermathecal duct about as long as spermatheca, distally connected to heavily sclerotised, curved tube (base of spermatheca?) about as long as spermathecal width; spermathecal sculpture comprised of numerous transverse, more-or-less shallow ridges, mostly ending as tubercle.

Biology and ecology: Both species were consistently collected on, but were not reared from, plants known, or assumed, to be Brillantaisia spp. (Acanthaceae) .

Figures

Figs 1–4. Manicomyia spp., habitus: (1, 2) M. chirindana, male (1) and female (2); (3, 4) M. stuckenbergi sp. n., male (3) and female (4). Not to scale.

Figs 5, 6. Manicomyia spp., head: (5) M. chirindana, lateral view; (6) M. stuckenbergi sp. n., sublateral view. Not to scale.

Figs 7–10. Manicomyia spp., wing: (7, 8) M. chirindana, male (7) and female (8); (9, 10) M. stuckenbergi sp. n., male (9) and female (10). Not to scale.

Figs 18–22. Manicomyia spp., female terminalia: (18, 19) M. chirindana, aculeus and enlarged aculeus tip; (20–22) M. stuckenbergi sp. n.: (20) aculeus, (21) enlarged aculeus tip, (22) spermatheca. Not to scale.