Suragina agramma ( Bezzi, 1926 )

Muller, Burgert S., Swart, Vaughn R. & Snyman, Louwrens P., 2024, Revision of Afrotropical Suragina Walker, 1859 (Diptera, Athericidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 247-327 : 247-327

Suragina agramma ( Bezzi, 1926)

Figs 1 , 9 , 10 , 37 , 55 , 59 , 75

Atrichops monogramma var. agramma Bezzi, 1926: 306.

Suragina agramma : Stuckenberg 1960: 291, fig. 87; Stuckenberg 1980: 312.

Type.

Assumed lost by Stuckenberg (1960: 285). However a specimen matching the specimen locality data provided by Bezzi (1926: 306) was identified in the collection of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum ( NMSA). It also has a label written by Bezzi affixed to it, identifying it as the female type of S. agramma . No additional information available.

Type material examined.

Holotype: [ South Africa] • 1 ♀; [Mpumalanga]; Baberton, De Kaap [Valley], B. 50; [25°35.2533'S, 30°58.4200'E]; 5 Oct. 1919; H. K. Munro leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028199 ).

Additional material examined.

Kenya • 1 ♀; Coast Province; Shimba Hills Nat. Pk. [National Park], just inside Longomwagandi Forest ; 04°14.0736'S, 39°24.1012'E; 389 masl; 27 Aug. – 10 Sep. 2008; R. Copeland leg.; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Shimba Hills Nat. Pk. [National Park], just inside Longomwagandi Forest ; 04°14.0736'S, 39°24.1012'E; 389 masl; 24 Sep. – 8 Oct. 2008; R. Copeland leg.; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Shimba Hills Nat. Pk. [National Park], just inside Longomwagandi Forest ; 04°14.0736'S, 39°24.1012'E; 389 masl; 19 Nov. – 3 Dec. 2008; R. Copeland leg.; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♂ 2 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Nwatate area, below Bura Bluff ; 03°29.066'S, 38°19.951'E; 1011 masl; 27 Jul. – 10 Aug. 2011; R. Copeland leg.; riverine forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Chawia ; 03°28.745'S, 38°20.497'E; 1614 masl; 23 Jan. – 6 Feb. 2012; R. Copeland leg.; next to small forest pond; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE: 20993 AtherG 11 ) • 1 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Chawia ; 03°28.745'S, 38°20.497'E; 1614 masl; 8–22 Mar. 2012; R. Copeland leg.; next to small forest pond; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE: 20993 AtherG 10 ) • 1 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Nwatate area, below Bura Bluff ; 03°29.066'S, 38°19.951'E; 1011 masl; 24 Aug. – 7 Sep. 2011; R. Copeland leg.; riverine forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♂; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Chawia ; 03°28.745'S, 38°20.497'E; 1614 masl; 24 Aug. – 7 Sep. 2012; R. Copeland leg.; next to small forest pond; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♂; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Nwatate area, below Bura Bluff ; 03°29.066'S, 38°19.951'E; 1011 masl; 7–21 Sep. 2011; R. Copeland leg.; riverine forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 3 ♂ 3 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Nwatate area, below Bura Bluff ; 03°29.066'S, 38°19.951'E; 1011 masl; 10–24 Aug. 2011; R. Copeland leg.; riverine forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Coast Province; Taita Hills, Nwatate area, below Bura Bluff ; 03°29.066'S, 38°19.951'E; 1011 masl; 27 Dec. 2011 – 10 Jan. 2012; R. Copeland leg.; riverine forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 4 ♀; Eastern Province; Njuki-ini Forest, nr. Forest station ; 00°30.9978'S, 37°25.1112'E; 1471 masl; 30 May – 13 Jun. 2016; R. Copeland leg.; inside indigenous forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) • 1 ♀; Eastern Province; Njuki-ini Forest, nr. Forest station ; 00°30.9960'S, 37°25.1058'E; 1455 masl; 12–26 Feb. 2006; R. Copeland leg.; inside indigenous forest; Malaise trap; ( ICIPE) . Malawi • 1 ♀; [Southern Region]; Zomba; 1535 Ad [15°23.00'S, 35°20.00'E]; 1100 masl; 24–27 Sep. 1980; J. G. H. Londt & B. R. Stuckenberg leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028177 ) . South Africa • 1 ♂; Limpopo; Blouberg, Northern side, Glenferness ; [23°49.236'S, 29°47.374'E] 16–21 Jan. 1965; Transvaal Museum Expedition; ( NMSA - DIP 028189 ) • 3 ♀; Mpumalanga; Mariepskop State Forest, Motlasedi River at:; 24°35.7333'S, 30°53.2833'E; 850 masl; 20–24 Jan. 2017; B. S. Muller & A. H. Kirk-Spriggs leg.; streambed and grassy floodplain, Legogote Sour Bushveld, Malaise trap; ( BMSA (D) 124062 , BMSA (D) 124621 , BMSA (D) 124627 ) . Zimbabwe • 4 ♀; [Manicaland Province]; Umtali District; S. Rhodesia ; [18°58.00'S, 32°38.00'E]; 12 Apr. 1931; P. A. Sheppard leg.; (♀: NMSA - DIP 028202 ; NMSA - DIP 158390 ; NMSA - DIP 158389 ; NMSA - DIP 209061 ) • 1 ♀; [Manicaland Province]; Umtali District; S. Rhodesia ; [18°58.00'S, 32°38.00'E]; 24 Feb. 1931; P. A. Sheppard leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028197 ) • 1 ♀; [Manicaland Province]; Umtali District; S. Rhodesia ; [18°58.00'S, 32°38.00'E]; 16 Feb. 1930; P. A. Sheppard leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028198 ) • 1 ♀; [Manicaland Province]; S. Rhodesia, N. Vumba ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47.00'E]; 7 Mar. 1965; D. Cookson leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028191 ) • 1 ♂; [Manicaland Province]; S. Rhodesia, Vumba Mount [ain]., near Umtali ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47'E]; 18 Jan. 1955; B. R. Stuckenberg & P. Stuckenberg leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028196 ) • 1 ♀; N. Vumba; S. Rhodesia ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47.00'E]; 11 Mar. 1965; D. Cookson leg. ( NMSA - DIP 028181 ) • 1 ♀; N. Vumba; S. Rhodesia ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47.00'E]; 14 Oct. 1965; D. Cookson leg. ( NMSA - DIP 028195 ) • 1 ♀; N. Vumba; S. Rhodesia ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47.00'E]; 13 Mar. 1965; D. Cookson leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028193 ) • 1 ♀; N. Vumba; S. Rhodesia ; [19°06.00'S, 32°47.00'E]; 29 Mar. 1965; D. Cookson leg.; ( NMSA - DIP 028194 ) .

Diagnosis.

Suragina agramma has an overall orange-yellow appearance (Figs 9 , 10 ), the thorax without a presutural darkened spot or median vitta on the scutum (Fig. 1 ). Wing uniformly light brown suffused without apparent darkened substigmal marking (Fig. 37 ). It is most similar to S. copelandi Muller , sp. nov., however, it differs from it by having the fore and hind tibiae yellow to orange-yellow, whereas S. copelandi Muller , sp. nov. has the tibia dark brown to black. Additionally, S. agramma has the lateral margins of tergites 2–4 concolorous to the rest of the abdomen compared (apart from a slightly darkened margin on tergite 2 in some specimens) to the dark lateral margins in S. copelandi Muller , sp. nov.

Remarks.

Stuckenberg (1960) notes “ eyes not contiguous ” for the male from Vumba, but upon examination, the said specimen has eyes touching briefly, not “ very narrowly separated ” throughout. The Vumba specimen has markings on tergites 1 and 2, these are absent from the Eshowe specimen of Stuckenberg (1960). Similarly, the current Kenyan specimens examined also have tergites 1 and 2 with some slight markings similar to that of the Vumba specimen as described by Stuckenberg (1960).

Redescription.

Measurements (♂ n = 5, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 7.0– 8.2 mm (avg. 7.9 mm); ♀ 8.3–8.6 mm (avg. 8.4 mm); body length: ♂ 9.0– 10.1 mm (avg. 9.6 mm); ♀ 8.7–9.5 mm (avg. 8.9 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.82; ♀ 0.94.

Male (Fig. 9 ).

Head: Orange-yellow colour, with silver-white pruinosity on majority of head; eye bare; holoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye with slight indentation (absent in ♀); ocellar tubercle slightly more elevated than frons, bare, colour black; vertex silver-white pruinose, with long pale setulae; anterior ocellus larger than posterior pair; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye, margin less indented than in ♀; vertex narrower than in ♀; dorsal inner edge of eye without discernible paired dark markings; occiput with same silver-white pruinosity as rest of head, except for paired narrow dark brown, almost black (taller in ♀) markings with pale setulae on upper occiput, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex; upper occiput with short, pale setulae on dorsal margin and on rest of upper surface, lower occiput with long pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have similar pale ventral setulae; frons silver-white up to narrow area before eyes touch when viewed dorsally, dark velvety-brown when viewed anteriorly; frons at narrowest where eyes touch, widening towards antennal base; frons bare; face and gena silver-white with pale setulae, clypeus orange with silver-white pruinosity, bare; face separated from clypeus by a prominent, deep suture on anterior and lateral edges; face not appearing to bulge laterally when viewed in profile; clypeus visible in profile, face not; antennal bases separated ca 0.5 × width of scape, with slight longitudinal groove; scape, pedicel, 1 st flagellomere orange-yellow, 2 nd flagellomere brownish; 1 st flagellomere reniform, only slightly larger than pedicel and scape; 2 nd flagellomere arista-like; scape and pedicel with pale dorsal and ventral setulae of similar size, palpus orange-yellow, well-developed, ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis comparatively same size as that of ♀ in relation to head; proboscis orange-yellow with long pale setulae, shorter setulae ventrally; some scattered small dark setulae on proboscis and palpus.

Thorax: Majority of surface orange-yellow, median dorsal surface of scutum and scutellum with short dark setulae, remainder of thorax with longer pale setulae, especially on pleura and lateral surface of scutellum; postsutural setulae similar to presutural setulae, except for longer prescutellar setulae; postpronotal lobe slightly lighter orange-yellow in colour compared to rest of thorax, with pale setulae; scutum and scutellum uniformly orange-yellow without any vittae; pleura generally orange-yellow in colour with except for anepisternum that has a dark brown marking; anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite lightly silver-white dusted; notopleuron with long pale setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle orange-yellow, postspiracular scale orange-yellow, same colour as rest of thorax; proepisternum, pronotum orange-yellow; anterior spiracle bare posteriorly; proepimeron, proepisternum with pale setulae, anepisternum with pale setulae; katatergite with pale setulae; rest of pleura bare.

Legs: Coxae orange-yellow; fore and mid coxae with long pale setulae on surface, hind coxa with long pale setulae on anterior and lateral apical edges, and with well-developed anterior apical point; all trochanters same orange-yellow colour as rest of body with some scattered short pale setulae; all femora uniformly orange-yellow; mid and hind femora with small anterior apical dark mark; fore tibia darker orange-brown except for proximal area which is orange-yellow, mid and hind tibiae orange-yellow; all tarsi with somewhat darker appearance, similar in colour to fore tibia, middle basal tarsomere lighter; fore tarsal claws asymmetrical, outer claw much larger than inner claw, foreleg empodium ca 2 × size of inner pulvillus, outer pulvillus ca 2 × length of inner, approaching size of outer claw; fore and mid femora covered with pale setulae on all surfaces except for dorso-apical surface with short dark setulae, hind femur with mixed long pale and dark setulae on dorsal and ventral surface, basally with long pale setulae, anteriorly with short setulae and posteriorly with longer setulae; hind leg overall stouter than remaining legs; fore tarsi covered with long sensory setulae along antero- and posteroventral surfaces, sensory setulae ca 2 × as long as tarsal segment is wide; fore and mid tibiae covered in short dark setulae, hind tibia with longer dark setulae; hind tarsal segments 0.97–1.05 × as long as hind tibia; tibial spur formula 1: 2: 2.

Wing: Slight light brown suffused appearance; with a slightly yellow-brown stigma over area of veins R 1 and R 2 + 3 and cell r 1; veins light brown; costa without distinct downward flexure over stigma; cell cua closed a short distance from wing margin; cell m 3 open, veins M 1, M 2, M 3 present; haltere almost entirely orange-yellow, with very short dark setulae and slightly infuscated apically.

Abdomen: Orange-yellow, tergites and sternites without apparent dark markings (some specimens may appear darkened due to dicolouration due to dried gut contents); tergites and sternites similar in colour with short black setulae on median-dorsal surface of tergites, rest of surface of abdomen covered in long pale setulae; tergite 1 with weak median longitudinal suture.

Terminalia (Figs 55 , 59 ): Entirely orange-yellow in colour; epandrium and cercus with dark setulae, hypoproct and hypandrium with pale setulae; gonostylus tapering with truncated apex, outer ventral surface of gonostylus base with 3 short setulae, rest of gonostylus appearing bare; gonocoxite widening and appearing more rounded on apical half, apex somewhat flattened, gonocoxite outer and ventral medial surface with long setulae, inner surface of upper half with short setulae; parameral apodeme short, not reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view, parameral sheath including parameral apodeme ca 0.7 × length of gonocoxite; gonocoxal apodeme ca 1.2 × length of gonocoxite and similar in length to ejaculatory apodeme; aedeagal tine curvature extending down past gonocoxites.

Female (Fig. 10 ): Similar to ♂ except for the following:

Head: Dichoptic; lateral edge of eye without indentation (slight in ♂); ocellar tubercle with short dark setulae; dorsal margin of eye more indented than in ♂; vertex wider than in ♂, dark directly behind ocellar tubercle up to posterior of eye margin (in anterior view), appearing silver-white when viewed dorsally; dorsal inner edge of eye with paired dark markings but only visible when viewed anteriorly, otherwise area similarly silver-white pruinose; occiput with same silver-white pruinosity as rest of head, except for paired dark brown, almost black (taller than in ♂) markings on upper occiput, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex; frons velvety-black from ocellar tubercle down to lower half of eye, silver-white down to antennal base; frons dark setulose on velvety-black area, pale setulose on silver-white pruinose area (♂ bare), at narrowest 1.8 × width of ocellar tubercle, widening slightly towards antennal base; face separated anteriorly from clypeus by shallow transverse suture, deeper sutures laterally; 1 st flagellomere comparatively much larger than in ♂.

Thorax (Fig. 1 ): Scutum more densely setulose than in ♂.

Legs: Fore tarsi symmetrical; setulae of femora overall shorter (compared to ♂) except for preapical area of fore femur that has long pale setulae; hind femur with mix of short pale and dark setulae; hind tarsal segments 0.92–1.02 × as long as hind tibia.

Wing (Fig. 37 ): Similar to ♂.

Abdomen: Dark dorsal setulae on tergites appearing longer towards posterior of abdomen.

Terminalia (Fig. 75 ): Cercus orange-yellow with pale setulae; genital fork with distal apodeme broad, forked; median lobe with shallow apical emargination; paired apical lobes with slender appearance and inner surface gradually rounded with clustered microtrichia at apex; arms gradually rounded; three ovate-shaped and sclerotised spermathecae.

Distribution.

Kenya (new record), Malawi (new record), South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Behaviour.

David Cookson wrote on a specimen label, collected in 1964 from Northern Vumba: “ This dabs at water-surface like a tabanid and settles on bushes with a blob of water on its mouth parts ”.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Dorsal view of thorax (1–4) and head and thorax (5–8) of Suragina Walker spp. 1 S. agramma (Bezzi) ♀ (NMSA - DIP 028177) 2 S. binominata ♀ (NMSA - DIP 158408) 3 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. ♀ (CSCA) 4 S. falsa ♀ holotype (NHMUK 014064160) 5 S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov. ♂ paratype (NMSA - DIP 162049) 6 S. malavaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (ICIPE) 7 S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158442) 8 S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (NMSA - DIP 158425). 4 Copyright NHMUK under CC BY 4.0. Not to scale.

Figures 9–13. Suragina Walker spp. lateral habitus: S. agramma (Bezzi): 9 ♂ (NMSA - DIP 028196) 10 ♀ holotype (NMSA - DIP 028199); S. bezzii (Curran): 11 ♂ (SAM-DIP-A 018382) 12 ♀ (SAM-DIP-A 018410); S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov.: 13 a ♀ paratype 1 st flagellomere (CSCA) 13 b ♀ holotype (CSCA). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 37–42. Suragina Walker spp. wing dorsal view: 37 S. agramma (Bezzi) ♀ (BMSA (D) 124627) 38 S. bezzii (Curran) ♂ (SAM-DIP-A 018410) 39 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (CSCA) 40 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. ♀ paratype (BMSA (D) 83423); S. binominata (Bequaert): 41 holotype ♂ (MLUH) 42 ♀ (NMSA - DIP 158446). 41 Copyright ZNS Halle, January 30, 2024. Abbreviations: br – basal radial cell; bm – basal medial cell; cua – anterior cubital cell; CuA + CuP – anterior branch of cubital vein + posterior branch of cubital vein; d – discal cell; M 1 – first branch of media; m 1 – first medial cell; M 2 – second branch of media; m 2 – second medial cell; M 3 – third branch of media; m 3 – third medial cell; R 1 – anterior branch of radius; r 1 – first radial cell; R 2 + 3 – second branch of radius; r 2 + 3 – second radial cell; R 4 – upper branch of third branch of radius; R 5 – lower branch of third branch of radius; Sc – subcostal vein; sc – subcostal cell. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 55–62. Suragina Walker spp. male terminalia, ventral view (55–58) and epandrium with cerci, dorsal view (59–62): 55, 59 S. agramma (Bezzi) (ICIPE) 56, 60 S. bezzii (Curran) (SAM-DIP A 018382) 57, 61 S. binominata (Bequaert) (NMSA - DIP 028165) 58, 62 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 83425). Abbreviations: aed tn – aedeagal tine; cerc – cercus; ej apod – ejaculatory apodeme; epand – epandrium; goncx – gonocoxite; goncx apod – gonocoxal apodeme; gonst – gonostylus; pm – paramere; pm apod – parameral apodeme; pm sh – parameral sheath. Scale bar (applicable to all illustrations): 0.6 mm.

Figures 75–87. Suragina Walker spp. female genital fork and spermathecae, ventral view: 75 S. agramma (Bezzi) (ICIPE) 76 S. bezzii (Curran) (SAM-DIP- 018403) 77 S. bilobata Muller, sp. nov. (CSCA) 78 S. binominata (Bequaert) (NMSA - DIP 158411) 79 S. copelandi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 84686) 80 S. freidbergi Muller, sp. nov. paratype (BMSA (D) 92158) 81 S. liberiaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 158442) 82 S. malavaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (ICIPE) 83 S. milloti (Séguy) (CSCA) 84 S. monogramma (Bezzi) (BMSA (D) 129988) 85 S. mulanjeensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 158392) 86 S. semiobscura Muller, sp. nov. paratype (ICIPE) 87 S. zombaensis Muller, sp. nov. paratype (NMSA - DIP 1584719). Scale bar (applicable to all illustrations): 0.1 mm.