Morellia (M.) natalensis Paterson, 1957

Pamplona, Denise, Nihei, Silvio S., Couri, Márcia S. & Pont, Adrian C., 2016, Taxonomy of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Muscidae): revision of the subgenera Morellia s. str. and Parapyrellia Townsend, Zootaxa 4163 (1), pp. 1-110 : 54-56

23. Morellia (M.) natalensis Paterson, 1957

( Figs 83–89 )

Morellia natalensis Paterson, 1957: 446 . Type locality: SOUTH AFRICA, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, Ingeli Forest , near Harding. Holotype Ƌ, SAIMR.

Redescription. Colour. Black, with grey pruinosity. Frontal vitta brown and fronto-orbital plate black; face, parafacial, gena and antenna black with grey pruinosity; palpus brown; mesonotum metallic black with one silver dusted central vitta along presutural acrostichals, postpronotal lobe and notopleuron silver pruinose, katepisternum grey pruinose; legs dark brown; haltere yellow; calypters yellowish, upper calypter on outer half white and opaque; wing without dark markings; abdomen with weak grey pruinosity but last tergite with silver pruinosity.

Male. Body length: 6.0 mm; wing length: 6.0 mm.

Head. Eyes bare, separated at level of anterior ocellus by about 0.08 of head width; frons divergent towards lunule; ocellar triangle with a pair of setae and few setulae; 17 pairs of frontal setae; postpedicel about 1.4–1.9 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2 setae and few setulae; arista plumose, with 13–15 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 3th or 4th cilia; vibrissa shorter than arista; 1 supravibrissal seta, less than half the length of vibrissa, and a few setulae that extend to level of basal fourth or middle of postpedicel; 5 subvibrissal setae followed by 8 genal setae.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+1; dorsocentrals 0+3; intra-alars 1+1; presutural 1; prealar 1, strong; supra-alars 2; postpronotals 4, the innermost weaker; notopleuron with 2 long subequal setae and covered with ground-setulae; postalars 2; intrapostalar 1; scutellum with 1 basal, 1 discal and 1 apical pairs of setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, the basalmost ones downcurved; postalar wall bare; suprasquamal ridge bare; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 5 long setae and few setulae; prosternum broad and bare; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 8 setulae, with 3 weak setae upcurved on upper-anterior corner, and covered with short setulae; katepisternals 1+2; anepimeron extensively setulose; katepimeron with 1 setula; anatergite bare; katatergite setulose. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae on apical two-thirds becoming shorter basad; fore tibia with an anterodorsal row of short and weak setae, 1 anterodorsal, 1dorsal and 1 posteroventral preapical setae, with a golden ctenidium on ventral surface and a brush-like golden ctenidium on anteroventral surface, both on apical half; fore tarsus with a golden ctenidium; mid femur with a tubercle at apex of anterodorsal to posterodorsal surfaces bearing about 6 short spines, with about 2 posterodorsal to posterior setae, 1 anterior seta on middle third, and 3 posteroventral setae on apical third; mid tibia with an anterior ctenidium-like row of strong and short setae on basal half, 5 strong and short posterodorsal setae on basal two-thirds, 2 posterior setae on middle third, an excavation on anterior-anterodorsal surfaces at base with a very short ctenidium before it, 1 anterodorsal and 1 dorsal preapical setae, and 1 anteroventral, 1 posteroventral and 1 ventral apical setae; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae, strongest on apical third, about 3 weak ventral setae on basal half, 2 posterodorsal preapical setae, a group of posterior setulae at base and a few long posteroventral setulae on apical fourth; hind tibia with 2 short anteroventral setae on middle third, 5 strong and short setae on basal two-thirds, a dorsal row of short but strong setulae, a posterodorsal row of 5 equidistant setae, 4 weak posteroventral setae on middle third, 1 anterodorsal, 1 dorsal and 1 posterodorsal preapical setae, and 1 anteroventral, 1 posterior and 1 posteroventral apical setae; [specimen without hind tarsus]. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu sinuous; stemvein bare on dorsal surface, and ventrally with about 4 short setulae before humeral cross-vein and bare after humeral cross-vein; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose from base to r-m on dorsal and ventral surfaces; 5–6 strong setae on basicosta.

Abdomen. With lateral tufts of setulae on syntergite 1+2; tergites 4 and 5 with few setae laterally; sternite 1 setulose; posterior margin of sternite 5 deeply concave and with many setae ( Fig. 83 ).

Terminalia. Cercal plate ventrally with 2 strong spines; surstylus with 4 setae on apical half and many spicules apically ( Figs 84–86 ); aedeagal apodeme narrowed apically; basiphallus very long; aedeagus bare; gonopod with 5 long and strong setae on basal third; paramere with some small setulae apically ( Fig. 87 ).

Female. Body length: 6.0 mm; wing length: 6.0 mm.

Similar to male, differing as follows: eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.33–0.36 of head width; 12–14 frontal setae; fronto-orbital plate with 5 proclinate and 1 reclinate setae; mid femur without a tubercle and its setae; mid tibia without a ctenidium or excavation; hind tarsus without modifications in shape.

Ovipositor: Only part of the ovipositor is preserved. Tergite 6 as 2 golf-club-shaped rods; tergite 7 as 2 rods, anteriorly enlarged; sternite 6 as 1 small rod, posteriorly with 3 groups of small setulae; sternite 7 as 1 rod, anteriorly enlarged ( Fig. 88–89 ).

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Kwa-Zulu Natal, Ingeli Forest, 16.ii.1954, Paterson , 1 Ƌ paratype ( BMNH) ; Kwa-Zulu Natal, Harding District, Impetyeni Forest, iii.1951, Paterson , 1 ♀ paratype and 1 ♀ ( BMNH) .

Distribution. AFROTROPICAL: South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 83 – 89. Morellia (M.) natalensis Paterson. 83. Sternite 5, male paratype. 84. Cercal plate and surstyli, male paratype. 85. Cercal plate, ventral view, male paratype. 86. Left surstylus, male paratype. 87. Phallic complex, lateral view, male paratype. 88. Segments 6 and 7 of Ovipositor, dorsal view. 89. Segments 6 and 7 of ovipositor and spermathecae, ventral view.