Isomyia Walker, 1859: 134

Kurahashi, Hiromu & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2006, The Calliphoridae of Namibia (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 1322 (1), pp. 1-131 : 90-91

Genus: Isomyia Walker, 1859: 134 (as subgenus of Musca ).

TYPE SPECIES: Musca delectans Walker, 1859 , by original designation .

NOTES: Isomyia is well represented in the Afrotropical and Oriental Regions, with some species reaching the southern Palaearctic Region (Zumpt 1958a: 11). The biology, life histories and immature stages are unknown. Cuthbertson (1933: 106) records I. oculosa (Villeneuve, 1917) (as Strongyloneura ) resting on twigs and tree trunks in dense forest in Zimbabwe. Cuthbertson (1937: 28) records I. cinerascens (Villeneuve, 1917) (as Strongyloneura ) in flowers of shrubs in March, and Cuthbertson (1939: 145) records I. dubiosa (Villeneuve, 1917) (as Strongyloneura sheppardi ) at blossoms of wild shrubs, also in Zimbabwe.

Isomyia darwini (Curran, 1938: 3) (Strongyloneura) .

Fig. 97 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Rhodesia [= Zimbabwe] .

DISTRIBUTION: Southern Africa: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia *, South

Africa (Natal, Transvaal) and Zimbabwe.

MATERIAL: 1♀, Waterberg Plateau Park(3), xii.1991 – 18.i.1992, Pusch ( PT); 1♀, Hereroland­West at(2): 18.i–25.ii.1992, Pusch ( PT); 1♀, Aha Hills at(1): 21–25.xii.1998, Kirk­Spriggs(1), Marais & Mann ( MT); 1♀, Nama, 20–22.xii.1998, Kirk­Spriggs(1), Marais & Mann (LT).

NOTES: Biology, life history and immature stages unknown. Cuthbertson (1939: 144) notes the species (as Strongyloneura ) at flowers in Zimbabwe. In Namibia collected at UV­light and in pitfall and Malaise traps. North­central and north­eastern Namibia; apparently restricted to the ‘arid’ savanna biome ( Fig. 97 ). Recorded in February and December in low numbers (vide Table 2).

Isomyia deserti (Karsch, 1888: 378) (Somomyia) .

Fig. 98 .

TYPE LOCALITY: [ Tanzania] .

DISTRIBUTION: Southern Africa: Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia *, South Africa (Natal, Transvaal), Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

MATERIAL: 2♀, Katima Mulilo , 11–14.iv.1997, Marais ( YP) floodplain savanna; 1♂, Kwando River: Susuwe , 26–30.ix.1998, Kirk­Spriggs (1) ( YP) dry woodland; 1♂, 1♀, same except: 28.ix–2.x.1998 ( MT) ; 2♂, 4♀, Okavango River at: 18–19.x.1999, Kirk­Spriggs (1), Pape & Hauwanga ( MT) ; 1♀, Restcamp , 9–13.iv.1993, Green ( MT) .

NOTES: Biology, life history and immature stages unknown. In Namibia hand­collected, in yellow pans and Malaise traps. North­eastern and north­central Namibia; apparently restricted to the ‘arid’ and ‘mesic’ savanna biome ( Fig. 98 ). Recorded in April, September and October; most abundantly in October (vide Table 2).

Isomyia hauwangai sp. nov.

Figs. 33–38 , 43–44 , 99 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Namibia .

DISTRIBUTION: Rundu District, Bushmanland, Hereroland­West; apparently restricted to the ‘arid’ savanna biome ( Fig. 99 ).

MATERIAL: vide description, p. 36.

Isomyia natalensis (Villeneuve, 1917: 347) (Thelychaeta) .

Fig. 100 .

TYPE LOCALITY: South Africa .

DISTRIBUTION: Southern Africa: Lesotho, Namibia *, South Africa (Cape, Natal, Transvaal) and Zimbabwe.

MATERIAL: 1♂, Nhoma River at: 10.i.1991, Marais.

NOTES: Biology, life history and immature stages unknown. In Namibia hand­collected in January. The single Namibia record is from the ‘mesic’ savanna biome in north­eastern Namibia ( Fig. 100 ).

Isomyia tristis (Bigot, 1888: 613) (Curtonevra) .

Fig. 101 .

TYPE LOCALITY: South Africa .

DISTRIBUTION: Widespread mainland Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia *, Rwanda, South Africa (Cape, Natal, Transvaal), Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

MATERIAL: 1♀, Katima Mulilo, 11–14.iv.1997, Marais ( YP) floodplain savanna; 1♀, Diamond Area 1 at(1): 16–29.ix.1994, Marais ( PT).

NOTES: Biology, life history and immature stages unknown. Cuthbertson (1934: 41, as Strongylo­ neura) records adult females on fresh cattle dung in Zimbabwe. In Namibia collected in yellow pans, pitfall and Malaise traps in April and September (vide Table 2). The two Namibia records are from the extreme north­east of Namibia in the ‘mesic’ savanna biome and in the extreme south in the succulent karoo biome ( Fig. 101 ).

Figures

FIGURES 93–98. Distributions of Namibian Calliphoridae species. 93. Stegosoma vinculatum Loew. 94. Thoracites kirkspriggsi Kurahashi. 95. T. nigrifacies Kurahashi. 96. T. sarcophagoides Kurahashi. 97. Isomyia darwini (Curran). 98. I. deserti (Karsch).

FIGURES 33–38. Male genitalia of Isomyia hauwangai sp. nov. 33. Epandrium, surstylus and cercus, left lateral aspect. 34. Cerci and surstyli, caudal aspect. 35. Aedeagus, left lateral aspect. 36. Aedeagus, from behind. 37. Pregonite and postgonite, left lateral aspect. 38. 5th sternite, ventral aspect. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 43–44. Habitus photographs of Isomyia hauwangai sp. nov. (holotype ♂) (length: 9.0–10.0 mm). 43. Dorsal aspect. 44. Lateral aspect.

FIGURES 99–104. Distributions of Namibian Calliphoridae species. 99. Isomyia hauwangai sp. nov. 100. I. natalensis (Villeneuve). 101. I. tristis (Bigot). 102. Zumba antennalis (Villeneuve). 103. Perisiella anchora (Wiedemann). 104. Pseudorhyncomyia braunsi (Villeneuve).