Atherigona (Atherigona) occidentalis Deeming, 1971

Deeming, John C. & Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2024, A contribution to the knowledge of Namibian Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae), with the descriptions of four new species and two new subspecies, Zootaxa 5536 (4), pp. 501-535 : 521-522

Atherigona (Atherigona) occidentalis Deeming, 1971

Atherigona occidentalis Deeming, 1971: 177 , figs 132, 133; Deeming 1979: 49, figs 53–55; Dike 2003: 220 (distribution); Muller 2015: 890, fig. 32; Muller & Mostovski 2018: 352, fig. 19.

Material examined: 4♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala forest , 17°50'02''S, 24°36'20''E, 23–29.xii.2002, A . H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise traps (2♂, NMNW; 2♂, NMWC) ; 3♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 01–04.iii.2001, A .H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample; 1♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 23–27.xii.2002, A .H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample; 1♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala , 4 km NE of, 17°49'21''S, 24°36'07''E, 25.ii–01.iii.2001, A .H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap sample; 1♂, Rundu District, Matende River, 17°54'46''S, 19°35'16''E, 20–21.i.1998, E. Marais & A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise trap, primary woodland ; 1♂, Rundu District, Mile 46 Agricultural Research Station , 18°18'22''S, 19°15'24''E, 21–24.iv.2001, [E.] Marais, [S.] Kasch & [K.] Vohland, Acacia dominated interdune, Malaise trap, BIOTA #01.101.01.7.04 ; 11♂, Rundu District, Simanya : Okavango River, 17°33'17''S, 18°32'30''E, 23–24.i.1998, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap, primary woodland (all NMNW) ; 2♂, Rundu District, Katara , 1 km S of, 17°50'25''S, 18°54'26''E, 22–23.i.1998, [ A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise traps, primary forest (1♂, NMNW; 1♂, NMWC) ; 1♂, Tsumeb District, Varianto 771/2, 19°23'00''S, 17°43'57''E, 29.iii–01.iv.2003, A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , light trap ( NMWC) ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, Nova , 5 km N, 18°09'56''S, 21°44'31''E, 16–18.xii.1999, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN8, Malaise trap ( NMNW) ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, Kwando River, Susuwe , 17°45'37''S, 23°20'55''E, 28.ix–02.x.1998, A . H. Kirk-Spriggs , Malaise trap, dry woodland ( NMWC) .

Remarks: Deeming (1979: 46), recorded a species of Atherigona which he believed to be a variety of the common A. (s. str.) lineata and provided a description of the adult male, female, third-instar larva and puparium to allow for future recognition. This material was reared from the grass Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult. (as synonym S. pallidifusca (Schumach.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb. ) at Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria. In that description, the fore femur of the male was described as having a dark mark occupying the apical 2 / 5 of its length. In the above cited specimen, the apical 1 / 2 of the fore femur is deep black. Following examination of a longer series of specimens, it is now evident that this is a highly variable species. Atherigona (s. str.) occidentalis was originally described for the male as having the fore femur “… faintly infuscate in apical third” ( Deeming 1971: 177), as are other West African specimens examined.

Distribution: (Afrotropical): Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Namibia *, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia *. 1♂, “ Zambia, 5 km SE Livingstone, 17°54'S, 25°51'E, 15.iii.1993, E. Marais” (deposited in NMNW), extends the range of the species to include Zambia. Host-plant: Diectomis fastigiata (Sw.) P. Beauv. (as Andropogon fastigiatus Sw. ) ( Poaceae ).