Stylogaster pseudofanjae, Stuke, 2012

Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2012, A revision of Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key, African Invertebrates 53 (1), pp. 267-267 : 325-328

Stylogaster pseudofanjae sp. n.

Figs 200–210

Etymology: The species name refers to the similarity between S. fanjae sp. n.; both species were collected in the same locality on the same date.

Diagnosis: Stylogaster pseudofanjae sp. n. belongs to a group of similar species occurring on Madagascar, having a black mesoscutum ( Fig. 200 ), a dark brown abdomen ( Fig. 201 ) and no additional setulae on the mid femur. The three species in this group ( S. camrasi , S. fanjae sp. n. and S. pseudofanjae sp. n.) can be easily distinguished by characters of the male terminalia. Stylogaster pseudofanjae sp. n. has two black teeth on the distal margin of the surstylus ( Figs 205, 207 ), no black setae at the base of the phallus sheath ( Fig. 208 ), strong black setulae on the cercus, and a diagnostic shape of the surstylus. It is very similar to S. fanjae sp. n., but the surstylus is differently shaped, especially in the ventral view ( Fig. 68 ). Also, S. pseudofanjae sp. n. has no dense black setulae on the ventral surface of the mid tibia as does S. fanjae sp. n. ( Fig. 65 ).

Description (based on holotype):

Male.

Overall length: ca 4.6 mm.

Head: 1.0 mm high. Eye dark brown, with a few scattered inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli orange­brown. Ocellar tubercle blackish brown, with 1 pair of damaged ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies virtually entire frons, reaching as far as antennae ( Fig. 204 ). Ocellar triangle brown. Frons black lateral to the ocellar triangle, with only 2 small, defined, fronto­orbital setae. Antenna dark brown. Arista dark brown, 3 segments evident. Arista situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere ( Fig. 202 ). Scapus with a few orange­brown setulae dorsally. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 202 . One distinct black vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput black to brown, distinctly silver pruinose; with a row of regularly-arranged small white setulae dorsally, and several longer white setulae ventrally. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis pale yellow basally, becoming dark brown distally, except for yellow-brown distal division of labellum. Labrum ca 2.0 mm, labellum approximately same length.

Thorax: Yellow-brown; mesoscutum (with exception of postpronotum), scutellum, mediotergite and laterotergite dark brown, anepisternum and katepisternum pale brown. All undamaged setae on holotype black (dorsocentral seta and seta on anepimeron missing, all other setae intact on one side of specimen), with exception of golden seta on propleuron. Two notopleural setae, 1 supra-alar seta, 2 postalar setae, 1 praescutellar dorsocentral seta, 1 apical scutellar seta, 1 seta on anepimeron and 1 seta above fore coxa on propleuron. Black semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.

Wing: Length 3.7 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, but base of r 1 and very narrowly at base of r 2+3, most of br, bm, base of dm, base of anal lobe, base of cup and cua 1 without microtrichia. Hind margin of wing with black or brown setulae. Venation as in Fig. 203 . Haltere uniformly pale brown, with areas of sensillae at base.

Legs: Fore and mid legs yellow­brown. Hind leg darker with paler ventral surface and medial part of hind femur. Legs mainly with black or brown setulae and black setae, only fore and mid tibiae additionally with pale yellow setulae. Fore and mid coxae without distinct setae, but with strong black setulae distally. Hind coxa without lateral black setulae, but with strong black setulae distally on anterior surface. Hind trochanter without teeth or dense setulae. Mid femur with a row of regularly-arranged black setulae on basal half posteriorly. Hind tibia with 1 short black spine on anterior surface. Claws dark brown basally, black distally. Pulvilli pale yellow. Empodia short, brown.

Abdomen: Mainly dark brown, tergites 2–4 paler brown laterally in basal two-thirds. Epandrium narrowly yellow laterally at base ( Fig. 201 ). Tergites with semi­adpressed black setulae.Tergite 1 with long white setulae laterally, tergite 2 on anterior margin with 4–6 black lateral setae on either side. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 205–210 . Cercus elongated ( Fig. 209 ). Dorsal margin slightly concave. Cercus without lappet ventrally. No conspicuous teeth ventrally. Some dorsal setulae stronger than surrounding setulae. Surstylus with 2 black teeth on distal margin. No setulae on inner surface. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 208 .

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR: (1) “ Madagascar / Province Fianarantsoa / Parc National Ranomafana / radio tower at forest edge / elev 1130 m / 27. June­12. July 2005 ”; (2) “ 21°15.05'S 47°24.43'E / coll. M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / coll. California Acad. of Science / malaise, mixed tropical forest / MA­02­09B­118”; (3) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / pseudofanjae ♂ / des. Stuke, 2011” ( CAS). Left wing, right hind tarsi and several setae damaged. Abdomen dissected, macerated and deposited in glycerine in a microvial pinned beneath specimen, holotype otherwise in good condition.

Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.

Bionomics: Sampled in primary rainforest at moderately high elevation (1130 m).

Figures

Figs 200–204. Stylogaster pseudofanjae sp. n. (♂ holotype): (200) habitus, lateral view; (201) abdomen, dorsolateral view; (202) antenna, lateral view; (203) wing; (204) frons. Not to scale.

Figs 205–210. Terminalia (♂) of Stylogaster pseudofanjae sp. n. (holotype): (205) surstylus, lateral view; (206) same, dorsal view; (207) same, ventral view; (208)phallus sheath of hypandrium,lateral view; (209) cercus, lateral view; (210) sperm pump and ejaculatory apodeme.Abbreviations: ce – cercus; su – surstylus. Not to scale.

Figs 66–71. Male terminalia of Stylogaster fanjae sp. n. (holotype): (66) surstylus and cercus, lateral view; (67) surstylus, dorsolateral view; (68) same, ventral view; (69) phallus sheath of hypandrium, lateral view;(70) cercus,dorsal view;(71)sperm pump and ejaculatory apodeme.Abbreviations:ce – cercus; hys – phallus sheath of hypandrium; su – surstylus. Not to scale.

Figs 60–65. Stylogaster fanjae sp. n. (♂ holotype): (60) habitus, lateral view; (61) abdomen, dorsal view; (62) antenna, lateral view; (63) frons; (64) wing; (65) mid tibia, lateral view. Not to scale.