Eomedina hamoyensis, Cerretti, Pierfilippo & Wyatt, Nigel, 2006

Cerretti, Pierfilippo & Wyatt, Nigel, 2006, A new species of Eomedina Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Namibia, Zootaxa 1147, pp. 61-68 : 64-66

Eomedina hamoyensis sp. nov.

Holotype Ψ: Namibia: RUNDU DISTRICT / Hamoye Nat. Forest / 18°12’’S 19°43’’E [in error for 18°12’S 19°43’E] / 05–08.iii.1999 / E. Marais / Malaise trap [ NMNW, type catalogue number T657].

Paratypes: 3 ΨΨ, same data as the holotype [ BMNH, MZUR, NMNW]. 1 Ψ, Namibia: OTJINENE DISTRICT / Epukiro River, 3 Km N at: / 21°22’26’’S 20°06’09’’E / 09– 11.ii.2001 / A.H. Kirk­Spriggs & E. Marais / Malaise trap sample [ NMNW].

Etymology

Named after the type locality “Hamoye”, Rundu District, Namibia.

Diagnosis

Females of E. hamoyensis differ from those of E. apicalis in lacking a pair of proclinate orbital setae, having just one pair of reclinate upper orbital setae, and much weaker paired median discal setae on abdominal tergites 3–5, those on tergite 3 being sometimes absent. Also, E. hamoyensis has a paler grey appearance than E. apicalis because the four dark vittae on the scutum are less conspicuous and the dark hind margins of the abdominal tergites are significantly narrower. Males of this species are currently unknown.

Description

Colour. Head mainly black in ground colour except gena, with a paler yellowish colouration and a darker reddish­brown spot adjacent to vibrissa; gena, parafacial and parafrontal areas covered with silver­grey microtrichosity; scape and pedicel mostly blackish, but pedicel paler brownish­red on inner surface apically; postpedicel mainly black, but narrowly dull reddish­brown on inner surface near base; arista mostly dark but with paler yellowish area on basal third except for thickened area at base which is darkened; palpus mostly yellow but somewhat darker basally. Thorax and legs entirely black in ground colour; scutum silver­grey microtrichose with four rather faint longitudinal darker vittae which are somewhat more conspicuous presuturally. Lower and upper calypters white. Wing hyaline; tegula and basicosta both brownish­black, basicosta somewhat paler. Abdomen entirely black in ground colour; tergites 3–5 with an uninterrupted broad transverse band of dense grey microtrichosity on anterior 3/4–5/6 dorsally, contrasting with narrow darker grey posterior margin. Terminalia dark brownishblack.

Head ( Fig. 2 ). Arista almost bare with only very short inconspicuous pubescence, thickened on its basal 1/6–1/5 and about 1.5 times longer than postpedicel. First and second aristomeres not longer than wide. Postpedicel about 2.95–3.35 times longer than pedicel. Frons at its narrowest point 0.57–0.58 times as wide as an eye. Ocellar setae emerging just behind level of anterior ocellus. Inner vertical setae about 1/2 as long as vertical height of eye, reclinate, sub­parallel (to each other). Outer vertical setae not differentiated from postocular setae. One pair of reclinate upper orbital setae; no proclinate orbital setae. Five to 7 frontal setae descending to level of apex of antennal pedicel. Fronto­orbital plate almost bare, with only a few inconspicuous short hairs between the row of strong frontal setae or laterally to them. Parafacial entirely bare. Parafacial at its narrowest point about 0.7–0.8 times as wide as postpedicel. Lower facial margin not protruding beyond base of vibrissae in lateral view. Vibrissa well developed, arising slightly above level of lower facial margin. Facial ridge slightly convex, with a row of regularly spaced stout and erect setae over most of its length ( Fig. 2 ). Height of facial ridge 1.08–1.19 times length of frons. Genal dilation not developed. Gena in profile about 1/6– 1/8 the vertical height of eye (height measured in the same vertical plane as height of head). Postocular setae short. Occiput flat or slightly concave, with white hair­like setulae and a few irregularly scattered black setulae behind the postocular row on upper half. Eye bare. Prementum about 1.5–2.0 times longer than wide. Palpus slightly clavate with a few black setulae, especially near apex.

Thorax. Prosternum with some robust setulae on its lateral margin. Postpronotum with 3 setae arranged in a straight line. Scutum with 3 + 1–2 acrostichal, 1 posthumeral, 1 presutural, 2 notopleural and 3 supraalar setae (first postsutural supraalar seta shorter than notopleural setae); postalar callus with 2–3 setae. Anatergite bare. Proepisternum bare. Katepisternum with 3 setae arranged in a triangle. One anepimeral seta. Katepimeron bare. Scutellum with 4 pairs of marginal setae; apical pair parallel or divergent, about two­thirds the length of the stronger pair of divergent subapical setae; lateral setae strong, intermediate in size between apicals and subapicals, basal setae strong, slightly weaker and shorter than subapicals; scutellum also with a quite well developed pair of discal setae. Postmetacoxal area membranous.

Legs. Fore tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae, 2 posterior setae, preapical anterodorsal seta shorter than preapical dorsal seta; fore claws and pulvilli shorter than tarsomere 5. Mid tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta, 2 posterior setae, 1 ventral seta. Hind tibia with an irregular row of anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae, 2 dorsal preapical setae, posteroventral preapical seta shorter than anteroventral preapical seta; posterior hind coxal margin bare.

Wing. Costal spine clearly differentiated, nearly twice as long as adjacent costal setulae. Second costal portion (CS2) ventrally bare. Base of R4+5 with 1–3 setulae. Section of M between crossveins r­m and dm­cu longer than section between dm­cu and bend of M. Bend of M obtuse. Wing cell r4+5 usually narrowly open, but sometimes closed at wing margin.

Abdomen. Syntergite 1+2 with 1 pair of long median marginal setae and 1–2 pairs of lateral marginal setae. Tergite 3 with 1 pair of median marginal setae, 1 pair of lateral marginal setae and sometimes also with a pair of weak median discal setae. Tergite 4 with a strong pair of median marginal setae, sometimes with a more lateral pair also differentiated, and 1–3 pairs of lateral marginal setae; 1 pair of short and weak median discal setae also present. Tergite 5 with a row of long and robust marginal setae and, usually, 1 pair of median discal setae. Sternites 2–4 sub­rectangular, not modified, sternite 5 broader, sub­quadrate, with a row of 4 strong marginal setae.

Postabdomen: ( Figs. 3–5 ). Tergite 6 large, with a row of 7–10 stout setae. Tergite 7 very large, dorsoventrally flattened and divided by a longitudinal medial suture; either side of dorsal surface of tergite 7 with several fine erect setulae. Sternite 6 about 2.5 times wider than long, U­shaped in posterior view. Sternite 7 very large, scoop­like. Egg: Macrotype, plano­convex, not embryonated.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. 1. Known distribution of Eomedina spp. 2. Eomedina hamoyensis (paratype), head in lateral view, scale bar 0.5 mm. 3. Eomedina hamoyensis (paratype), female postabdomen in posterior view.