Silba boulangi, Macgowan, Iain, 2015

Macgowan, Iain, 2015, A review of the Silba admirabilis McAlpine species group (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) with descriptions of thirteen new species from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 4032 (5), pp. 515-534 : 518-520

Silba boulangi sp. nov.

The holotype has the antennae missing.

Description. Male: Head: Eyes bare. Frons 0.5x width of an eye, subshining black, dulled by microsculpture, frontal and interfrontal setulae less than 0.25x length of orbital seta. Orbital plates shining black. Lunule with brownish ground colour, intensely covered in silver pollinosity as to a lesser extent are parafacials and face. Anterior genal setulae in a single row of 5 along mouth margin, these slightly separated from the other setulae. Antennae missing, Paratype has 1st flagellomere black apart from a hint of orange-brown at extreme medial base, length to depth ratio 3.3:1. Arista long plumose, ratio of plumosity at maximum extent to depth of 1st flagellomere 1:1

Thorax: Mesonotum subshining blue black. Anepisternum with 2 anterior and 3 posterior setae. Katepisternum with 2 setae near dorsal margin, posterior longer and stronger than anterior. Proepimeron and proepisternum each with 1 seta. Scutellum with disc heavily grey dusted, on margin between lateral and apical setae with four setulae on each side, none between apical setae. Calypteres white with white fringes. Wings clear, wing length 3.5 mm. Legs entirely black, basal and second tarsomeres yellow/brown, apical segments darkened.

Male terminalia (Figs. 5–6): epandrium and associated structures of the standard S. admirabilis group type. Phallus: basal plate, in ventral view almost parallel sided, widest point before the apex, with two processes, these rather rounded and swollen at their apices, separated by a deep, U-shaped incision. In lateral view basal plate extending past the apex of the phallus, apices expanded and laterally flattened, resembling paddles. Basiphallus of normal size, bearing a scattering of spicules ventrally.

Type material. Holotype ♂. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO; P.N.G. (Park Nationale Garamba ), 26.ix.1952, II/gd/16, Miss. H. de Saeger.

Paratypes. All taken within the Park Nationale Garamba by Miss. H. de Saeger; 7.ix.1950, 1♂. Napukumweli, 15.ix.1950, 1♂; 3.vi.1952, 1♂; 16.vi.1952, 1♂.

Specimens in MRAC.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Boulangi tribe of the Congo.