Hydrotaea nigribasis Stein, 1913

Vikhrev, Nikita E., 2023, Review of the Hydrotaea meteorica group (Diptera, Muscidae), Amurian Zoological Journal XV (4), pp. 838-846 : 843-844

Hydrotaea nigribasis Stein, 1913 Fig. 4 .

Hydrotaea nigribasis Stein, 1913 . Type locality: South Africa, Durban .

Hydrotaea australis Malloch, 1923: 667 . Type locality: Australia, south Queensland, syn. nov. Hydrotaea dukouensis Ni, 1982 . Type locality: Sichuan, Dukou (presently Panzhihua 26.57 ° N, 101.71 ° E), syn. nov.

Hydrotaea australis Malloch, 1923 . Emden (1965: 314, redescription); Pont (1973: 232, redescription).

Hydrotaea dukouensis Ni, 1982 : Fan (2008: 482, redescription in Chinese; 1017–1023, identification key, in English).

Type material examined: Holotype, H. nigribasis , ♂: Pinetown, Durban, (= S Africa, 29.84 ° S, 30.84 ° E), 20.04.(19)02, F. Muir ( ZMHU).

Other material examined: AUSTRALIA, Queensland, Eidsvold (≈ 25.4 ° S, 151.1 ° E), 6.10.1929 and no data, 3♂, 5♀ ( ANIC) . ETHIOPIA, Oromia Reg., Ambo env., (8.98 ° N, 37.85 ° E), 2100 m, 01.11.2009, L. Rybalov, 1♂, 1♀ . INDONESIA, Papua province, Jayapura (2.55 ° S, 140.70 ° E) env., 18– 25.04.2009, A. Sokolov, 3♂, 5♀ . NEW CALEDONIA, Noumea (22.2 ° S, 166.5 ° E), 07.1958, J. Rageau, 1♂ ( MNHN) .

Distribution. A Paleotropical species associated with cattle. Australia: WA, NT, QLD, NSW ( Pont 1973); China, Sichuan ( Fan 2008), Ethiopia, Oromia; Indonesia, Papua; New Caledonia; Malaysia ( Emden 1965); Nepal ( Shinonaga, Singh 1994); S Africa (type locality); Sri Lanka ( Emden 1965).

Synonymy. I have no doubts that specimens from Africa as well as from Australia and New Guinea (known as H. australis ) belong to the same species. They fit the redescription by Pont (1973) and share all diagnostic characters: body length 3 mm; no minute setulae between outer rows of rather strong ac setae; notopleuron bare; head dusted, without any glossy areas; ♂ with fore leg as in the H. meteorica group; t 3 in medial third with a row of 3–5 straight pv setulae (same as on t3 of H. affinis as shown in Fig. 5 ). The description of H. dukouensis is less comprehensive. Fan (2008: 458, fig. F) showed typical fore femur of the H. meteorica group. In both keys by Xue et al. (2007a; 2007b) H. dukouensis does not run to the H. meteorica group although the modification of f1 was clearly described as that of the H. meteorica group: ‘fore femur with 2 specialised setae on ventral surface of distal part, one spine-like, the other resembling a bird’s head’. In the better key by Fan (2008: 1022) H. dukouensis runs to the H. meteorica group. H. dukouensis also shares a small size (3 mm) and a row of 3–5 short pv setulae at middle of t3. The principle ‘no difference, no validity’ should be applied here. So, Hydrotaea nigribasis Stein, 1913 = H. australis Malloch, 1923 , syn. nov. = H. dukouensis Ni, 1982 , syn. nov.

If my supposition that the origin of the H. meteorica group is SE Asia is correct, then the spread of H. nigribasis to Australia and Africa most likely happened along with cattle breeding. At least I am sure that H. nigribasis appeared in New Caledonia together with human settlement.

Figures

Figs. 2–5. 2 — H. spinigena, male head, lateral; 3 — H. spinigena, male mid leg (modified from Xue & Chao 1998: 905, figs 2097Fe and 2097Fp); 4 — H. nigribasis, male fore leg (as H. australis, from Emden 1965: 313, fig. 83b); 5 — H. affinis, male hind tibia (as H. affinoides, from Fan 2008: 484, fig. 153c) Рис. 2–5. 2 — H. spinigena, гоΛова самца сбоку; 3 — H. spinigena, среΑняя нога самца (с изменениями по Xue & Chao 1998: 905, figs 2097Fe и 2097Fp); 4 — H. nigribasis, переΑняя нога самца (как H. australis, по Emden 1965: 313, fig. 83b); 5 — H. affinis, заΑняя гоΛень самца (как H. affinoides, по Fan 2008: 484, fig. 153c)