Atherigona (Atherigona) theodori Hennig 1963
Creators: name: Deeming, John C.
name: Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Muscidae
Atherigona
Atherigona theodori

description: Atherigona (Atherigona) theodori Hennig, 1963
Atherigona theodori Hennig, 1963: 2; Deeming 1981: 102, fig. 8; Pont 1991: 343; Dike 2003: 221 (distribution); Deeming 2008: 718; Muller 2015: 900, fig. 44.
Previous records: Brandberg: Hungorob Valley, 21°11.40'S, 14°31.69'E; Messum Valley, 21°13.29'S, 14°30.98'E (Deeming 2000: 286).
Material examined: 1♀, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala campsite, 17°50’01”S, 24°36’09”E, 01–04.iii.2001, Malaise trap, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs; 8♂, 8♀, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 01–04.iii.2001, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap; 1♂, 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; 2♂, 1♀, Lüderitz District, Orange River at: 28°02'S, 17°04'E, 15–16.iv.1986, J. Irish; 1♂, Omaruru District, Ugab River, 2 km W Brandberg Wes, 20°58'05''S, 14°06'36''E, 22–24.x.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap sample; 1♂, Omaruru District, Brandberg Wes, Ugab R. nr, 20°57'39''S, 14°07'55''E, 21–24.x.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap; 2♂, Opuwo District, Sesfontein Fort, 19°07'15''S, 13°37'06''E, 01–03.i.2000, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN38, sweeping; 3♂, 2♀, Opuwa District, Ekuju village: Kunene River, 17°19'30''S, 13°48'56''E, 11–12.x.1999, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise traps, riverine forest; 2♂, 1♀, Opuwa District, Epupa, 35 km E: Kunene River, 17°03'37''S, 13°29'32''E, 09–11.x.1999, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap, shaded woodland; 9♂, 3♀, Rundu District, Rundu (Kavango Lodge), 17°54'43''S, 19°45'33''E, 28.iii.2003, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, sweeping Okavango River plains; 1♂, 1♀, Skeleton Coast Park, Kunene Mouth, 17°16'S, 11°47'E, 20–22.iv.1994, E. Marais, preservation pitfall trap; 1♂, 3♀, Skeleton Coast Park, Kunene Mouth island, 07°16'33''S, 11°45'28''E, 19.iii.1998, E. Marais, sweeping vegetation; 3♀, same data, except: light trap; 1♂, 3♀, Tsumkwe District, Gautscha spring, 19°48'41''S, 20°34'50''E, 20.xii.1998, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, sweeping marginal grasses; 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 (all NMNW).
Remarks. Described from Egypt and Israel, the oldest Afrotropical specimens examined are from Zimbabwe, labelled “Shangani, Rhodesia, v.1932 ” (deposited NHMUK). Since that date it has increased its range greatly and is now a prolific species.
Distribution: (Afrotropical): Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Oman, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Zimbabwe; (Palaearctic): Crete, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 501-535 in Zootaxa 5536 (4) on page 526, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5536.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14239209