Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)

Elena P. Kameneva & Valery A. Kroneyev, 2016, Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae), Zootaxa 4087 (1), pp. 1-88 : 71-74

Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)

Figures 337–349 .

Chrysomyza smaragdina Loew, 1852: 661 ; 1862: 32; Hendel, 1909, 1910, 1913b; Séguy, 1941: 115. Physiphora smaragdina: Steyskal, 1980: 576 ; Kameneva & Korneyev, 2010: 630; Kameneva et al., 2013: 112; Morgulis & Freidberg, 2014: 211.

Material. Type. Syntype ♂: “ Mozambique, Tette, Peters” [green label], “2731”, “ smaragdina Loew *” [green label], “ Type ” [red printed label] (MNKB). Non-type. Europe. Spain: Granada, Charca de Suarez wetland, Motril (36.72°N 3.54° W), 9.06.2012, 1 ♂ (J. Marín leg.) (E. Kameneva det.) (SIZK). Asia: Israel: Dead Sea Area, Qalya (= Kallia), 7. vi.1996, 2 ♂, 2♀ (Merz, Freidberg) (NHMG); Qalya, 1. vi.1996, 1 ♂, 1♀ (I. Yarom and A. Freidberg); Nahal Qidron], 7. vi.1996, 1 ♂ (A. Freidberg); ‘En Hazeva, 16. viii.1995, 1 ♀; ‘En Zin, 14. x.1997, 1 ♂; Nahal Hiyyon, Rt. 40, nr. Ne’ot Semiadar, 13. x.1997, 1 ♀; Nahal Qidron, 7. vi.1996, 1 ♂ (A. Freidberg) (SIZK). Africa: Burundi: Nyangwe, iv–v.1918, 1 ♂ (R. Mayne) (MRAC); Cameroon: “Joko, Sd.- Kamerun VII”, 1♂ (genitalia dissected) (A. Heyne) (DEI); Chad: Boum Kabir, Moyen Chari, 8. iv.1966, 7 ♂, 2♀, idem, “Ouarai 287”, 20. iii.1966, 2 ♀ (J. C. Hitchcock, Jr.) (USNM); Congo, D.R. ( Zaïre): Eala, iii.1932, 1 ♂ (H. J. Bredo); “P. N. G[aramba], II/fc/4, 3997” 30. viii.1932, 1 ♀ (H. De Saeger) (MRAC); Côte-d’Ivoire: Lamto, “ct M’Bra”, 1. vii.1971, 1 ♂ (D. Lachaise) (MHNP); Egypt: Matana, 7. vii.1964, 1 ♂, 1♀, (G. Steyskal) (USNM); Sinai, Wadi Tubug, 1600 m, 23. iv.1998, 1 ♀ (A. Freidberg & F. Kaplan) (SIZK); Cairo, El-Marg, margin of field, 30.16N 31.23E, 29. iii.1995, 2 ♂; Cairo, 20 km S, semidesert, 29.52N 31.17E, 31. iii.1995, 1 ♀ (M. Barták) (M. Barták) (MBC); Gambia: Bakau, at tropic bungalow, swept in meadow rich in flowers at the beach, 6–18. xi.1977, 1 ♀; 6km N Kartung, swept in very dense forest with glades,20. xi.1977, 1 ♂, 1♀ (Cederholm, Danielsson, Hammerstedt, Heqvist & Samuelsson) (ZMLU); Kenya: Embu, cow dung, 29. xi.1966, 4 ♂, 6♀ (E. F. Legner) (USNM); Malawi: “Nyassa-See, Langenburg”, i.1898, 1 ♂, xii.1898 i.1899, 1 ♂, 2♀, iv.1899, 1 ♀ (Füllerborn) (MNKB); Morocco: 25 km S Goulmima, 100 m, 13. iv.1989, 1 ♂ (Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Expedition) (ZMUC); Mozmbique: “Lourenço Marques” (=Maputo), 1♂ (C. W. Howard) (USNM); Namibia: Rundu Distr., Katara Okavango River, Malaise trap, 17º48′ 56″S 18º53′38″E, 20-23. i.1998, 1 ♂(Kirk-Spriggs, Marais); Opuwa Distr., 35 km E Epupa, Kunne River, Malaise trap, 17º03′ 37″S 13º29′32″E, 9–11. x.1999, 1 ♂(genitalia dissected) (Kirk-Spriggs, Pape, Hauwanga) (NICW); Ombuku, 17º07′S / 13º22′E, Kaokoveld, 24.ii. 2. iii.1995, 2 ♀; Kunene, Epupa Falls, 17º00′S / 13º15′E, 20.xi.1993, 22. ii.1995, 4 ♂, 41♀ (Koch); Windhoeck, i.1903, 2 ♂ (Tedrow) (MNKB); Nigeria: Katsina, 20. iv.1965, 1 ♀ (L. Seyers) (USNM); Rwanda: Kigali, 1500m, 10. ii.1986, 1 ♀ (Kühbandner) (USNM); South Africa: “Capland / Willowmore”, 1♂, 1♀, 1.ii.1907 (Brauns) (“Chrysomysa smaragdina det. F. Hendel) (NHMW); same locality and collector, no date, 2♀ (ZSSM); Durban,♀ (F. Muir) (Chrysomysa smaragdina det. F. Hendel) (NHMW); Northern Cape, N Hanover, Dwaal-fontein, 21. i.2012, 1 ♂ (Mey); “Caffar”, 6183, 1♀ (Drige); “OFS, Senekal, 28º17′ S 28º19′ S, K.S. O.,” 10, 20. i.1972, 6 ♂; TP: Bedford view, ix.1958, 1 ♂ (A. A. Carpenter) (SANC); KZN: Durban, bred from larva in rubbish dump, 17. ii.1922, 1 ♂ (C. C. Kent) (SANC); Tanzania: “Africa or / Katona, Arusha-Ju.” x.1905, 2 ♂, 1♀ (collector unknown) ( Chrysomyza smaragdina / det. Kertesz) (HMNH); Togo: “Misahöhe”, 2. iv.1894, 1 ♀ (Baumann) (MNKB); Tunisia: Nefta, 14–16. iii.1986, 2 ♂, 1♀, idem, 14. v.1988, 1 ♂ (Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Expedition) (ZMUC); United Arab Emirates: Hatta, light trap, 19–28. iii.2006, 1 ♂; Near Mahafiz, light trap, 10–29. xii.2005, 2 ♂ (SIZK); Zimbabwe: Fungwi Nature Reserve, vii.1928, 1 ♂, 1♀ (N. S. Leeson) (BMNH). Country?: “Sdetla”, “ 26.8.1903 ”, “Coll. Hendel” 1♀ (Bush) (NHMW).

Diagnosis. This species can be easily recognized from the combination of entirely brown or black fore basitarsomere, frons smooth, shining yellowish to dark brown, with semicircular microtrichose parafrontal spots, face with λ-shaped microtrichose area on facial carina, and phallus with very large recursive basalmost lobe of the glans and two of the other three largest sclerotized lobes joined basally, oven-fork shaped. Most of the species with black fore metatarsus differ from it by having entire microtrichose crossband on the face (or non-microtrichose facial carina); the only other species, which shares with it black fore metatarsus, λ-shaped microtrichose area on facial carina and very large recursive basalmost lobe of the glans, is P. sericea , which can be easily differentiated by having matt black frons with cuneiform parafrontal microtrichose spot, gena with short microtrichose mark at posterior margin and different shape of the other large sclerotized lobes of the phallus glans (three separate needlelike lobes).

Description: Head ( Figs. 340–343 ) yellow to brown, with black occiput. Frons 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide, yellow or brown, shining, with moderately large semicircular parafrontal microtichose spots and two pairs of calluses posterior to its middle and slightly concave, sparsely and finely black setulose in anterior half and between calluses. Vertical plates concolorous brown to black, bearing 2 pairs of black orbital setae. Ocellar triangle black, with lateroclinate setae as long as orbital setae.

Face from entirely reddish yellow to entirely black, facial carina partly brown, rugulose, with white λ-shaped microtrichose area separated from microtrichose antennal grooves. Lunule shining yellow to brown. Facial ridge, parafacial and gena shining orange or brown, gena 1/3 times as high as eye; parafacial and facial ridge with white microtrichose stripe each.

Occiput black, usually with orange or brown area posterior of ocellar triangle and partly yellowish-brown postgena; orbit between posterodorsal eye margin and row of postocular setae without microtrichose stripe, only posteroventrally (above postgena) orbit with short microtrichose stripe. Medial vertical seta half as long as frons width, 1.2–1.3 times as long as lateral vertical and 2.5–3.5 times as long as ocellar, orbital and postocellar setae. Antenna reddish brown, greyish microtrichose; flagellomere 1 rounded apically, 1.5–1.8 times as long as wide; arista bare, yellow in basal 1/4, remainder black. Clypeus black. Palp brown to black, gray microtrichose, with moderately long black setulae. Mouthparts black.

Thorax ( Figs. 339 , 342, 344 ). Scutum and scutellum black, densely rugulose, subshining with green to golden (rarely reddish) or cyan sheen; antepronotum, postpronotal lobe, posterior surface of notopleural triangle, transverse suture, supra-alar and postalar parts of scutum, anterior half of anepisternum, most of katepisternum, and whole anepimeron shining black, with faint golden sheen; posterodorsal parts of anepisternum and very narrowly on katepisternum shagreened; postscutellum black, gray microtrichose; postero-ventral margin of scutellum without microtrichose area; anatergite, katatergite and lateroventral parts of mediotergite grey microtrichose. Mesonotal scutum with acrostichal, dorsocentral and intra-alar rows of setulae; acrostichal seta indistinguishable; dorsocentral setae hair-like; other setae moderately long, black: one postprononal, 2 postsutural supra-alar, one intra-alar and one postalar.

Scutellum densely rugulose, subshining green to golden and cyan; without distinct setulae on disk, with 1–2 blackish marginal setulae (rarely) and 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with yellow veins; cell r4+5 narrowly closed; apical section of M slightly arcuate ( Fig. 345 ). Postero-apical extension of cell cup 1.3–1.5 times as long as vein A1+CuA2, and 4 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2. Calypters with white fringe. Length: 3.0–4.5 mm.

Legs. Black, including whole fore tarsus; mid- and hind tarsi yellow, with 2 apical tarsomeres brown; all setae black; fore femur postero-ventrally with 3–4 moderately thickened, rather short setae in apical half.

Abdomen. Both tergites and sternites black, tergites 1–4 shining, with golden reflection; all setulae black; abdominal tergite 1 basally very sparsely microtrichose; female abdominal tergite 2 with pair of dimple-like structures laterally.

Male postabdomen brown to black, epandrium as on Fig. 349 , cerci with moderately developed nipple-like structures; phallus with stipe as long as preglans and glans combined ( Fig. 346 ); preglans without spines; glans ( Figs. 347–348 ) with very large recursive basalmost lobe of the glans and two of the other three largest sclerotized lobes joined basally, oven-fork shaped. Female abdomen and terminalia not examined.

Distribution. Mediterranean region ( Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Israel), Subsaharan Africa from Cabo Verde and Gambia through Chad to Kenya, Malawi, MozambiNamibia and South Africa; Arabian Peninsula.

Biology. Reared from larva collected in rubbish dump; adults are attracted to cow dung and at light.

Figures

FIGURES 337 – 341. Physiphora smaragdina: 337, Holotype, habitus, left; 338, 339, head and thorax, dorsal and right; 340, head, anterior; 341, label.

FIGURES 342 – 345. Physiphora smaragdina: 342, habitus, left; 343, head, anterior; 344, mesonotum; 345, wing.

FIGURES 346 – 349. Physiphora smaragdina: 346, ♂ phallus; 347 – 348, glans, enlarged; 349, epandrium, posterior.