Atrichops stuckenbergi Nagatomi, 1984

Muller, Burgert S., Swart, Vaughn R. & Snyman, Louwrens P., 2023, Afrotropical Atrichops Verrall (Diptera, Athericidae) with description of a new species, African Invertebrates 64 (3), pp. 303-322 : 303

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.113133
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:000F15D7-0DD7-46F7-9826-25F13C43AF4C
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F23B5D13-1476-5FAD-B9AE-C7C72EDA4516
treatment provided by	African Invertebrates by Pensoft
scientific name	Atrichops stuckenbergi Nagatomi, 1984
status

Treatment

Atrichops stuckenbergi Nagatomi, 1984 View in CoL

Figs 3 View Figures 1–6 , 6 View Figures 1–6 , 9 View Figures 7–12 , 12 View Figures 7–12 , 15 View Figures 13–18 , 18 View Figures 13–18 , 21 View Figures 19–24 , 24 View Figures 19–24 , 29 View Figures 25–30 , 30 View Figures 25–30 , 33 View Figures 31–36 , 36 View Figures 31–36 , 39 View Figures 37–39

Atrichops stuckenbergi Nagatomi 1984b: 21, figs 3, 10.

Material examined.

T ype material (based on digital photos): Holotype: Kenya • 1♀; Naro Moru , Country Life Lodge; [0°09.3224'S, 37°0.7380'E]; 6300 ft; 25 Dec. 1969; Irwin, M.E. & Ross, E.S. leg.; (CAS) GoogleMaps . Paratype: 1♀; Naro Moru, Country Life Lodge; [0°09.3224'S, 37°0.7380'E]; 6300 ft; 25 Dec. 1969; Irwin M.E. & Ross, E.S. leg.; (CAS). Material at time of publication is in the Nagatomi collection of OMNH and will be returned to CAS shortly by the curator in charge at OMNH (pers. comm. B. Sinclair)

Additional material examined.

Malawi • 5♂ ; Southern Region; Mulanje Mountain [Mulanje Massif] at:; 15°56.1667'S, 35°31.1982'E; 1061 m asl; 12-14 Oct. 2016, Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream bed; Miombo woodland; (5♂ BMSA(D) 97872, 97873, 97874, 97875, 97876) GoogleMaps . 18♂ 11♀ GoogleMaps ; Zomba Plateau, Kuchawe Trout Farm ; 15°21.2315'S, 35°18.0954'E; 1530 m asl; 8-11 Oct. 2016; Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (11♀ BMSA(D)94146, 94147, 94151, 94153, 94154, 94155, 94158, 94162, 94163, 94165, 94171, 94172, 95851; 18♂ BMSA(D)94142, 94143, 94144, 94145, 94148, 94149, 94150, 94152, 94156, 94157, 94159, 94160, 94161, 94164, 94166, 94167, 94168, 94169, 94170) GoogleMaps . 5♀ 8♂ GoogleMaps ; Zomba Plateau, William's Falls ; 15°20.8392'S, 35°17.9158'E; 1583 m asl; 15-19 Oct. 2016, Kirk-Spriggs, A.H. & Muller, B.S. leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (8♀ BMSA(D) 95850, 95852, 95853, 95855, 95856, 95857, 95858, 95861) GoogleMaps . 5♂ GoogleMaps BMSA(D)95848, 95849, 95854, 95859, 95860). 1♂; Nyasaland, Cholo [Thyolo], [16°4.2204'S, 35°8.178'E], 14 Sept.1917, Wood, R.C. leg.; (1♂ NMSA-Dip. 158775) GoogleMaps . Kenya • 1♀ GoogleMaps ; Central Province; Mary Mariuki farm, near Nyamindi River ; 00°29.5500'S, 37°23.2932'E; 1457 m asl; 2-16 Jun. 2018, Copeland, R. leg.; Malaise trap; (1♀ ICIPE 3773) GoogleMaps .

Photographic material.

( Scharff et al. 2023): Tanzania • 1♂; Uzungwe [Udzungwa] Mts., Mwanihana Forest above Sanje; [07°46.0000'S, 36°49.0000'E]; 1000 m asl; 1 Aug.1981; Stolze, M. & Scharff, N. leg.; Zool. Museum, Copenhagen; (1♂ ZMUC 100826, GBIF ID: 857827875). 1♀; East Usambara Mts., Amani; [05°05.9833'S, 38°37.9834'E]; 1000 m asl; 10 Jul. 1980, Stoltze, M. & Scharff, N. leg.; Zool. Museum, Copenhagen (1♀ ZMUC 100827, GBIF ID: 857829273) GoogleMaps .

Note.

The Tanzanian specimens are only identified as Atrichops sp. on GBIF, but agree with the descriptions and appearance of male and female A. stuckenbergi .

Diagnosis.

Atrichops stuckenbergi can be distinguished from the only other two Afrotropical species, A. adamastor and A. intermedius , by having its eye sparsely covered in ommatrichia, whereas the others have ommatrichia densely covering the eye. It has the frons shiny black, compared to the frons being dark brown in A. adamastor . The wings in Atrichops stuckenbergi are brown suffused mainly on the apical half, with the discal cell and cell m3 less so, much like in A. intermedius , compared to A. adamastor that has uniformly brown suffused wings. Atrichops stuckenbergi differs also from both the other species in the shape of its ♂ and ♀ terminalia (Figs 33 View Figures 31–36 , 36 View Figures 31–36 , 39 View Figures 37–39 ).

Remarks.

The species was described by Nagatomi (1984b), based on two female specimens. The description is sufficient and no re-description is necessary. The specimens from Malawi were compared to the holotype female (digital photographs) and a non-type female from Kenya and all fit Nagatomi’s description of A. stuckenbergi . Mention is made of female characters below should they differ from the male. A description of the previously unknown male, based on material from Kenya and Malawi, follows.

Description.

Measurements (♂ n = 5, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 5.0-5.7 mm (avg. 5.5 mm); ♀ 5.3-6.5 mm (avg. 5.9 mm); body length: ♂ 5.6-6.2 mm (avg. 5.9 mm); ♀ 3.9-5.2 mm (avg. 4.6 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.9; ♀ 1.3.

Male. Head (Fig. 6 View Figures 1–6 ): Colour dark brown, with silver-white pruinosity on face and clypeus (♀ with similar colour, only with somewhat less pruinosity); eye sparsely covered in ommatrichia, difficult to discern; holoptic, ♀ widely dichoptic (Fig. 6 View Figures 1–6 ); ommatidia on lower ½ to ⅓ of eye smaller than upper area (♀ ommatidia uniform, comparatively larger than in ♂); lateral edge of eye with prominent indentation, almost absent in ♀; ocellar tubercle with base level with frons; ocellar tubercle with long dark setulae (compared to vertex and occipitals), vertex glossy dark brown, almost black, with shorter setulae than ocellar tubercle; ocelli similar in size; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, eye margin less indented than in ♀; vertex narrower than in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye touching ocellar tubercle, without discernible paired dark markings (present in ♀); occiput dark brown with some whitish pruinosity; upper occiput with short dark setulae on dorsal margin and on rest of upper surface, lower occiput with erect, long and pale setulae, continuing ventrally on head to before mouthparts bearing dark ventral setulae; frons shiny black, without any setulae, area just above antennae with silver-white pruinosity; frons widening towards antennal base, ♀ frons at least 2 × width of ocellar tubercle, narrowing only slightly towards antennal base; frons bare compared to well-developed setulae on ♀ similar to ocellar tubercle and vertex; face lateral edges bare; gena bare; face separated from clypeus by prominent transverse suture, in ♀ separated by transverse emargination, but never forming suture; clypeus less prominent than in ♀; face much wider than in ♀, with prominent longitudinal emarginations on sides of clypeus, almost giving appearance that face bulges laterally; face and clypeus not visible in lateral view, visible in ♀; antennal bases close together, not touching as in ♀, separated by short, dark longitudinal vitta; scape and pedicel orange-yellow, brown dorsally around setulae; scape and pedicel setulae dark; 1st flagellomere reniform, appearing almost 2 × height of pedicel, same colour as pedicel, basal margins lighter brown; 2nd flagellomere arista-like, dark brown; scape and pedicel setulae similar in size, palpus dark brown, basally orange-yellow, well-developed, ca 0.5 × length of proboscis, with long dark setulae; proboscis dark brown with orange-brown base.

Thorax (Figs 15 View Figures 13–18 , 21 View Figures 19–24 ): Scutum with short dark setulae, postsutural setulae longer than presutural setulae; scutellum with well-developed dark setulae; scutum and scutellum uniformly dark brown (♀ holotype with scutellum yellow, darker in ♀ specimens from Malawi); pleura generally yellowish brown in colour, with anepisternum, katepisternum, anatergite and katatergite somewhat darker; proepimeron grey-white pruinose, with somewhat reduced knob-like process near anterior edge, not as apparent as in non-Afrotropical species; notopleuron with well-developed dark setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle yellow, postspiracular scale dark brown, yellow in ♀; pronotum, postpronotal lobe and postalar callus yellow, all with fine dark setulae; anterior spiracle bare posteriorly; proepimeron, proepisternum bare, anepisternum and katatergite with pale setulae; rest of pleura bare; postmetacoxal bridge narrow.

Legs (Fig. 3 View Figures 1–6 ): Coxae yellow; fore coxa with short dark setulae on surface, more pronounced apically; mid coxa with long dark setulae on surface, hind coxa with dark setulae on anterior and lateral apical edges, with well-developed anterior apical point; trochanters with some scattered short dark setulae, trochanters yellow, apical margins with darker markings, similar to that of ♀; fore, mid and base and apex of hind femora yellow, hind femur with dark brown middle; fore, mid, and hind femora with small anterior apical dark marking; fore and mid tibiae yellow, hind tibia dark brown; all tarsi dark brown (♀ with yellow mid and hind tarsi); fore tarsal claws symmetrical, empodium at least 2 × size of pulvilli on fore legs; fore femur covered with dark setulae on all surfaces, posteroventral setulae forming row, mid femur with row of longer anteroventral setae and hind femur with similar dark setulae on ventral and dorsal surfaces; hind leg stouter than fore and mid legs; fore tibia and tarsi densely covered with long hairs along dorsal and ventral surfaces, at least as long or longer than width of segments (♀ with long hairs only on ventral margins of tarsi); hind tarsal segments 0.94-1.01 (♂) and 0.92-1.00 (♀) times as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 29 View Figures 25–30 ): Suffused brown on most of apical half, with much darker pterostigma over area of veins R1 and R2+3 and cell r1, dark band across area near base of discal cell; majority of discal cell and cell bm hyaline; cell cua closed short distance from margin, cell m3 open, veins M1, M2, M3 present; vein R4+5 with setulae dorsally, extending to vein R5; veins dark brown, costa with much weaker downward flexure over pterostigma than in ♀; halter with yellow stalk and dark knob.

Abdomen (Fig. 15 View Figures 13–18 ): Dark brown, tergites 1-3 with anterodorsal margins yellow (t2 almost appearing triangular) (♀ holotype tergites 1-5 with anterodorsal margins yellow, giving triangular shaped appearance), entirety of sternites 1-5 yellow; tergites with short dark setulae, lateral margins with longer black setulae, more so than ♀; pale setulae on sternites 1-5; tergite 1 without median suture.

Terminalia (Figs 33 View Figures 31–36 , 36 View Figures 31–36 ): Epandrium and cercus dark brown, hypoproct dark brown; epandrium, hypandrium and cercus with dark setulae; gonostylus finger-like, narrowing with prominent sinuous curve towards apex, gonocoxite narrowing from middle towards base, apically rounded with long setulae; parameral apodeme elongate, appearing enlarged, reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view, aedeagal tine enlarged compared to A. adamastor and A. intermedius ; gonocoxal apodeme similar in length to gonocoxite.

Female. Terminalia cercus dark brown with dark setulae; genital fork (Fig. 39 View Figures 37–39 ) with distal apodeme enlarged, median lobe with deep apical emargination, paired apical lobes with rounded appearance, arms each rounding gradually; 3 sclerotised, elongated spermathecae.

Distribution.

Kenya, Malawi (new record), Tanzania (new record).