Myxophryxe satanas Cerretti & O'Hara

O'Hara, James E. & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2016, Annotated catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta, Diptera) of the Afrotropical Region, with the description of seven new genera, ZooKeys 575, pp. 1-344 : 268

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Tachinidae

Myxophryxe satanas Cerretti & O'Hara sp. n. Figs 13 c–d, 14b, f

Type material.

Holotype ♂: "South Africa: Western Cape/ Gamkaskloof (Die Hel) at:/ 33°21′49.60″S 21°37′40.97″E / 16-18.x.2012, 336 m/ P. Cerretti, J. Stireman, J. O’Hara,/ I. Winkler & A.H. Kirk-Spriggs"; “SA044” [voucher ID] (MZUR).

Remarks.

Fore and mid right legs were removed from the fresh specimen and stored in pure ethanol in a vial for DNA extraction and sequencing (preserved at Wright State University, OH, USA as part of the project "Phylogeny and Evolution of World Tachinidae ( Diptera )" funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, grant number DEB-1146269).

Etymology.

The species epithet derives from the Latin noun Sătănās, meaning devil, and is inspired by the type locality "Die Hel".

Description.

Body length: 10.6 mm.

Male differs from that of Myxophryxe longirostris as follows:

Colouration (Figs 13 c–d, 14b, f): Frontal vitta blackish-brown. Scape and pedicel yellowish-red, arista black. Thorax ground colour black (including scutellum). Legs entirely black, only a little reddish at junction between femora and tibiae. Basicosta blackish-brown. Abdomen entirely black, dorsally mostly covered with dense, non tessellate, whitish reflecting microtomentum with 2 sagittally symmetrical, large, black spots on posteromedian portions of tergites 3-5 including bases of median marginal setae; small dark spots present also around other marginal setae of tergite 4 (Fig. 14f); ventral surface of abdomen in posteroventral view largely shiny black, mostly whitish microtomentose in lateral view (Fig. 13c).

Head (Fig. 13 c–d): Frons 1.6 times as wide as compound eye in dorsal view. Fronto-orbital plate with a row of 7-8 frontal setae and 1 irregular row of medioclinate short setulae lateral to frontal setae. Frontal setae descending below level of base of arista. Parafacial slightly convex, at its narrowest point 1.6 times as wide as width of postpedicel. Facial ridge slightly convex, with 1 or 2 rows of robust, erect setae on its whole length; longest setae of facial ridge distinctly longer than width of postpedicel. Face concave. Postpedicel 4.3 times as long as pedicel. Gena in profile about 0.4 times as high as compound eye. Palpus narrow, very slightly clubbed, 0.8 times as long as postpedicel. Prementum slender, about 0.6 times as long as height of head; labella narrow and apically pointed.

Thorax: Scutum with 0 + 3 intra-alar setae (first postsutural intra-alar very short, about 1/2 the length of second postsutural intra-alar seta); 1 posthumeral seta (i.e., outer posthumeral seta absent) (Fig. 14b). Katepimeron bare. Scutellum with 1 pair of crossed apical setae (standing almost horizontal), about 2/3-3/4 as long as subapical setae; 1 pair of widely separated discal setae.

Legs: Preapical anterodorsal seta of fore tibia about as long as preapical dorsal seta. Mid tibia with 2 strong anterodorsal setae, a third shorter anterodorsal seta present proximally. Hind tibia with 2 strong dorsal preapical setae subequal in size, and a third in anterodorsal position less than 1/2 as long as the others.

Wing: Vein R1 with 1 setula dorsally only on right wing. Second costal section ventrally bare.

Abdomen (Figs 13c, 14f): Tergite 5 with irregular rows of erect marginal and discal setae. General setulae of tergites 3 and 4 decumbent. Tergite 5 about as long as tergite 4.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

South Africa.