Suragina binominata
Creators: name: Muller, Burgert S.
name: Swart, Vaughn R.
name: Snyman, Louwrens P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Athericidae
Suragina
Suragina binominata

description: Suragina binominata (Bequaert, 1921)
Figs 2, 14, 15, 41, 42, 57, 61, 78
Atherix longipes Loew, 1863: 12 (Junior homonym, preoccupied. by Ath. longipes Bellardi, 1861).
Atrichops binominata Bequaert, 1921: 6 (replacement name for Ath. longipes Loew); Bezzi 1926: 310.
Suragina binominata: Stuckenberg 1960: 285, fig. 87; Stuckenberg 1980: 312.
Atrichops bivittata Bezzi, 1926: 308; syn. nov.
Suragina bivittata: Stuckenberg 1960: 286, fig. 87; Stuckenberg 1980: 312.
Synonymy of Suragina bivittata Bezzi.
Suragina binominata is only known from the male holotype of Atherix longipes Loew, 1863. Stuckenberg (1960: 285) briefly discussed the possibility that S. bivittata is a junior synonym of S. binominata.
He stated that out of a series of four females of S. bivittata which he had collected from near the Nhlavini River (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), one female matched the female description of S. binominata by Bezzi (1926: 310) perfectly, with the others being very similar as well, taking into account the known degrees of variation within the species. Stuckenberg compared these to the type female of S. bivittata and found no significant differences between the female specimens of the two species. Additionally, Bezzi’s descriptions of both the species’ female specimens are based on material collected at the same locality, only seven days apart, which, coupled with Bezzi never stating that he did examine the holotype of Ath. longipes, complicated matters. Stuckenberg further stated that S. bivittata could only be synonymised with S. binominata after future examination and comparison of the male holotype of Ath. longipes Loew, 1863 with his described males of S. bivittata. Here we compare the type male of Ath. longipes with that of the males of S. bivittata as described by Stuckenberg (1960). There are no significant differences between the males or females of the two species, apart from minor colour differences that fall within the known variation previously exhibited by S. bivittata. Thus, we designate S. bivittata as a junior synonym of S. binominata.
Type material examined.
[from digital photographs] Holotype: South Africa • 1 ♂; Free State; Bloemfontein; [29°07.00'S, 26°13.00'E]; Tollin leg.; (MLUH).
Other type material examined.
Atherix bivittata syn. nov. type: South Africa • 1 ♀; [KwaZulu-Natal], Bulwer, Greene; [29°47.85'S, 29°46.16'E]; Sep. 1916.
Other material examined.
Malawi • 1 ♀; [Southern Region]; Mulanje Mt. [Mulanje Massif] nr Likabula; [15°56.983'S, 35°35.617'E]; 26–28 Oct. 1983; A. Freidberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 194746) • 1 ♀; [Southern Region]; Mulanje District; Mulanje mnt. [Mulanje Massif], Likabula; 15°56.2667'S, 35°30.0667'E; 786 masl; 12–15 Nov. 2016; A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & B. S. Muller leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (BMSA (D) 92592). South Africa • 1 ♀; Gauteng; Pretoria; [25°45.441'S, 28°12.618'E]; 4 Oct. 1910; Hardenberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028192) • 1 ♀; Eastern Cape; Hillside Farm, Pot River nr. Maclear; [31°19.933'S, 28°26.742'E]; 21 Jan. 1963; B. R. Stuckenberg & P. Stuckenberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028163) • 5 ♀; Western Cape; Littlestone Cottage, Robinson’s Pass, R 328; 33°57.756'S, 22°05.184'E; 99 masl; 7–8 Dec. 2022; B. S. Muller & M. J. J. Magoai leg.; on rock face over stream pool, hand collected; (BMSA (D) 119797, 124009, 124055, 124083, 124088) • 1 ♀; Western Cape; Knysna, Caplant; [33°56.879'S, 23°09.575'E]; Mar. 1913; Brauns leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028161) • 1 ♀; North West Province; Ottoshoop; [25°48.929'S, 26°46.154'E] Apr. 1916; H. G. Breyer leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028190) • 1 ♀; Mpumalanga; 20 km E Nelspruit, Noordkaap River; 2530 Db [25°36.579'S, 30°58.579'E]; 23 Sep. 1980; R. M. Miller leg.; NMSA - DIP 158408) • 2 ♀; Mpumalanga; Echo caves; [24°33.733'S, 30°36.208'E]; 6 Mar. 2000; M. Picker leg.; (NMSA - DIP 158446, 158447) • 9 ♀; Mpumalanga; K. N. P. [Kruger National park] Survey, Skukuza; [24°59.75'S, 31°35.52'E]; 21–24 Nov. 1972; J. van Reenen leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028164, 028167, 158434, 158435, 158436, 158437, 158438, 158439, 158440) • 1 ♀; North West Province; Rietspruit, Marico [Sehubyane stream]; [25°02.85'S, 26°23.90'E]; Jan. 1918; J. C. Faure leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028200) • 1 ♀; Mpumalanga; Mariepskop State Forest, Klaserie river at:; 24°35.5667'S, 30°56.1333'E; 736 masl; 24–26 Jan. 2017; B. S. Muller & A. H. Kirk-Spriggs leg.; Streambed & marginal vegetation, Legogote Sour Bushveld; Malaise trap; (BMSA (D) 125145) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 18 Dec. 1990; R. M. Miller leg.; at light; (NMSA - DIP 158441) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 15 Dec. 1991; R. M. Miller leg.; (NMSA - DIP 158410) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 17 Apr. 1992; R. M. Miller leg.; on window; (NMSA - DIP 158409) • 4 ♂ 4 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Nhlavini River, Ixopo Dist.; [30°07.783'S, 30°12.614'E]; 17 Mar. 1957; B. R. Stuckenberg leg.; (♂: NMSA - DIP 028165, 158427, 158428, 158430; ♀: NMSA - DIP 158429, 158431, 158432, 158433) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ukulinga Research Farm, 10 km SE Pietermaritzburg; [29°37.76'S, 30°24.29'E]; 20–26 Nov. 1985; R. M. Miller leg.; grassland impoundment, Malaise trap; (NMSA - DIP 194744).
Comment.
Holotype ♂: middle left leg missing, left wing missing, left fore tibia and tarsi missing, right fore apical tarsus missing.
Diagnosis.
A variably coloured species with the scutum ranging from orange-yellow to brown ground colour with darker pleura and heavily patterned tergites. Suragina binominata males are most similar to the holotype male of Suragina nigromaculata (Brunetti, 1929) in general appearance, but differ from it in having the lateral margins of all abdominal tergites dark brown compared to S. nigromaculata that has darkened lateral margins only on tergites 1 and 2. Additionally, males of S. binominata have the scutellum bicoloured, being orange-yellow apically and dark brown on basal half. Conversely, the holotype male of S. nigromaculata has the scutellum almost entirely orange-yellow except for the basal margin, being somewhat darker in appearance. The females of S. binominata have the scutellum similar to that of the holotype male of S. nigromaculata, but its scutum has a much more prominent central black vitta (Fig. 2) and similar abdominal markings to that of the S. binominata male.
Redescription.
Measurements (♂ n = 1, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 5.7 mm; ♀ 5.8–6.9 mm (avg. 6.6 mm); body length: ♂ 7.5 mm; ♀ 6.7–7.7 mm (avg. 7.3 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.76; ♀ 0.91.
Male (Fig. 14).
Head: Brown colour, with silver-grey pruinosity on majority of head; eye bare; holoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye with slight indentation; ocellar tubercle slightly more elevated than frons, with some dark setulae and surface colour dark brown with slight pruinescence; vertex silver-grey pruinose with long pale setulae; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye (♀ unknown); dorsal inner edge of eye without discernible paired dark markings; occiput with same silver-grey pruinosity as rest of head, except for paired subrectangular dark brown, almost black markings with pale setulae on upper occiput, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex and running down to occipital foramen; upper occiput with short pale setulae, lower occiput with long pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have dark ventral setulae; frons silver-white running up to narrow area before eyes converge when viewed dorsally, at which point frons is velvety-black in appearance; lower part of frons dark brown when viewed anteriorly; frons at narrowest ca 0.5 × width of anterior ocellus, widening towards antennal bases; frons bare; face and gena silver-grey with pale setulae, clypeus dark brown with silver-grey 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 brown, appearing darker in dorsal view; 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 dark setulae; scape with only dorsal setulae, pedicel with dorsal and ventral setulae, setulae of similar size; palpus orange-yellow, but darker orange-brown on apical half, well-developed, ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis orange-yellow at base but orange-brown on majority of surface with long dark setulae, some scattered small dark setulae on proboscis and palpus.
Thorax: Dark brown ground colour; median dorsal surface of scutum and scutellum with short pale 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 dark brown on majority of surface except for yellow-brown anterolateral surface; with long pale setulae.
Scutum mostly dark brown with slight median greyish pruinosity; postalar wall and callus appearing orange-yellow; scutellum bicoloured, with apical half being orange-yellow and basal half dark brown, scutellar setulae long and pale; all pleura dark brown in colour with greyish pruinosity, except for anepimeron that is yellowish-brown dorsomedially; notopleuron dark brown with long pale setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle brown, postspiracular scale brown, lighter than colour of pleura; proepisternum, pronotum dark brown; anterior spiracle and surrounds yellow, bare; proepimeron, proepisternum with pale setulae, anepisternum with pale setulae; katatergite with pale setulae; rest of pleura bare.
Legs: Fore coxa orange-yellow; mid coxa more brownish-yellow with orange-yellow lower anterior surface; hind coxa orange-yellow with brownish markings on anterodorsal surface; fore coxa with long pale setulae on surface and shorter dark setulae apically, mid coxa with long dark setulae on surface, hind coxa with long dark 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 dark setulae; all femora uniformly orange-yellow with hind femur slightly darker on middle third; fore tibia and tarsi dark brown, mid tibia orange-yellow; hind tibia dark brown with apex more yellowish; mid and hind tarsi dark brown with basitarsus same yellowish-brown on basal half as that of apex of hind tibia; fore and mid femora with covered in dark setulae, fore femur with long pale setulae on median ventral surface and long dark setulae toward apex, mid femur with similar long dark setulae on ventral surface; hind femur with long dark setulae on dorsal and ventral surfaces, basally with long pale setulae, anteriorly with short dark setulae and posteriorly with longer dark 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, especially on dorsal surface; combined length of hind tarsal segments subequal to hind tibia; tibial spur formula 0: 2: 2.
Wing (Fig. 41): Overall slight light brown suffused appearance except for discal cell and cell cua that are lighter; crossveins r – m and bm – cu with darker suffusions and with brown stigma over area of veins R 1 and R 2 + 3 and cell r 1; veins 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 orange-yellow, with very short dark setulae and slightly darker apically.
Abdomen: Overall orange-yellow colour; tergite 1 dark brown with orange-yellow posterior and lateral margins; tergite 2 with a dark brown subtriangular marking that runs down to posterior margin, and additional dark marking on lateral margin; tergites 3 and 4 each with dark brown marking that runs transversely across entire segment to lateral margin; tergite 5 similar to tergites 3 and 4, but marking much narrower and connection between median and lateral markings lighter brown; tergites 6 and 7 with only dark brown lateral markings; tergite covered in a mix of pale and dark setulae, lateral margins with long dark setulae; sternites all orange-yellow without any apparent dark markings, all segments with similar long pale setulae as on lateral margins of tergites; tergite 1 without median longitudinal suture.
Terminalia (Figs 57, 61): Mostly dark orange-yellow in colour; epandrium with some darker brown markings at base, cercus dark brown; epandrium, hypandrium and cercus with dark setulae; gonostylus tapering with truncated apex, outer edge of gonostylus with short setulae, inner edge with protrusion with 4 setulae, apical third of gonostylus sparsely covered in microtrichia; 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, lower ventral surface comparatively less setulose; gonocoxite with microtrichia between setulae; parameral apodeme with truncated apex, not reaching base of gonocoxite in ventral view, parameral sheath including parameral apodeme ca 0.7 × length of gonocoxite; gonocoxal apodeme similar in length to gonocoxite and slightly longer than ejaculatory apodeme; aedeagal tine curvature extending down past gonocoxites, apex of tines extending out past parameral sheath; endoaedeagal process apically truncated and widened.
Female (Fig. 15).
Head: Dark brownish-black ground colour, with bluish-grey pruinosity on majority of occiput; eye bare; dichoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye without any indentation; ocellar tubercle slightly elevated, visible in profile, dark setulose, bluish-grey pruinose, much more apparent when viewed posterodorsally, more blackish when viewed anteriorly; vertex bluish-grey pruinose, with pale setulae, vertex appearing blackish dark brown when viewed posteriorly; anterior ocellus similar in size to posterior pair; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye; dorsal inner edge of eye without discernible paired dark markings, same bluish-grey pruinose as rest of head; occiput similarly bluish-grey pruinose; paired subrectangular blackish-brown markings with pale setulae on upper occiput running down to occipital foramen, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex; upper occiput with similar pale setulae; lower occiput with lateral margins and medial area with long pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have pale ventral setulae; frons shining bluish-grey pruinose on lower half, velvety-black from ocellar tubercle to lower half of eye; frons running almost parallel, widening only very slightly towards antennal base; frons with short dark setulae on velvety-black upper half, with scattered pale setulae at posterior of lower half of frons; face and gena grey pruinose, gena with several long pale setulae; clypeus with lighter brown ground colour similar to mouthparts (some non-type specimens have clypeus appearing almost black anteriorly), with less dense bluish-grey pruinosity, bare; face separated anteriorly from clypeus by shallow transverse suture, deeper sutures laterally; face not appearing to bulge laterally when viewed in profile; clypeus visible in profile, face not; antennal bases separated ca 1 × width of scape, with slight longitudinal groove running between; scape, pedicel mostly orange-yellow, dorsally more brown, with some whitish pruinosity; 1 st flagellomere entirely orange-yellow; 2 nd flagellomere brown; scape ca 1.5 × size of pedicel; 1 st flagellomere reniform, 2 × size of pedicel; 2 nd flagellomere arista-like; pedicel with dark dorsal and ventral setulae, similar in size, scape with only dark dorsal setulae; palpus orange-yellow with mostly dark setulae, some interspersed pale setulae; palpus ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis ca same length as head height; proboscis darker brownish-orange on apical half, orange on basal half with some long pale setulae dorsally, short and long dark setulae ventrally.
Thorax (Fig. 2): Scutum orange-yellow with central shining black vitta with bluish-grey pruinosity running from just behind pronotum to before scutellum; scutum with presutural area with darker orange-yellow colour, some specimens with darker mark; notopleuron orange-yellow; postsutural area with blackish-brown on dorsal surface up to before supra-alar and postalar areas that are orange-yellow; pronotum orange-yellow with pale setulae; postpronotal lobe yellow, with short pale setulae; notopleuron orange-yellow, setulae pale; postalar wall and postalar callus orange-yellow; scutellum almost entirely orange-yellow with pale setulae, basal anterior margin blackish with bluish-grey pruinosity, appearing as run-on from scutum; scutum generally with short pale setulae, postsutural setulae somewhat longer, with some dark setulae as well; majority of pleura brownish with some bluish-grey pruinosity, except for anepimeron and proepisternum that are orange-yellow; pleura with pale setulae; anepimeron and katepisternum with long pale setulae, anatergite and meron bare; proepisternum and proepimeron with long pale setulae; anterior and posterior spiracles and surroundings orange-yellow, bare; postspiracular scale orange-yellow; postnotum blackish.
Legs: Coxae orange-yellow, some specimens with slightly darker orange-yellow posterior surfaces on mid and hind coxae; fore coxa with long pale setulae on anterior and posterior surfaces; mid coxa with long pale setulae on anterior surface; hind coxa with pale setulae on anterior surface as well as surrounding well-developed anterior apical point, lateral apical edges with long pale setulae; all trochanters orange-yellow with short dark setulae; fore, middle and hind femora yellow; fore tibia brown with orange-yellow base, middle and hind tibia orange-yellow; fore tarsi dark brown, mid and hind tarsi dark brown except for orange-yellow basal half of basitarsus; fore tarsal claws and pulvilli symmetrical, pulvilus and empodium of similar size; fore tarsi with long, somewhat curved sensory setulae along antero- and posteroventral surfaces, sensory setulae ca 2 × as long as tarsal segment is wide; fore femur with short dark setulae on anterodorsal surface and long pale setulae on apical half of posteroventral surface; mid femur with long pale setulae on anteroventral surface, otherwise with a mix of short pale and dark setulae; hind femur mostly with short dark setulae, apically with some longer dark setulae; all tibiae with short dark setulae; hind leg overall stouter than remaining legs; hind tarsal segments 0.92–1.18 × as long as hind tibia; tibial spur formula 0: 2: 2.
Wing (Fig. 42): Very lightly brown suffused, almost appearing hyaline; lighter towards basal part of wing; brown stigma over apex of veins R 1 and R 2 + 3 and cells sc, r 1; slightly darker brown suffused over base of discal cell and cell m 3; veins brown, and crossveins r – m an bm – cu (intensity differs between specimens); 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 stalk orange-yellow, knob light brown, with some short and dark setulae.
Abdomen: Overall orange-yellow with blackish-brown markings; tergite 1 with dark median marking; tergite 2 with median longitudinal dark marking and paired dark lateral markings; tergite 3 with a median longitudinal dark marking on anterior half of tergite and with similar paired dark lateral markings; tergite 4 with a dark marking along anterior margin (very light or absent on some specimens); tergites 4–7 orange-yellow to brownish-orange, with tergite 6 posterior margin and tergite 7 lateral and dorsal surface much darker than preceding segments, in some specimens displaying as dark markings; some specimens with dark lateral markings extending down from tergites 3–7, and tergite 5 with similar anterior marginal markings as tergite 4; sternites orange-yellow in colour; all tergites with short dark setulae dorsally; tergites 1 and 2 additionally with long pale setulae on dorsal surface; lateral margins of tergites 1–4 with pale setulae and some interspersed dark setulae; remaining tergites with dark lateral marginal setulae; sternites with pale setulae, longer on sternites 1–4 compared to remaining sternites; tergite 1 medially with a longitudinal suture.
Terminalia (Fig. 78): Cercus orange to dark orange-brown with pale setulae; genital fork with distal apodeme ending broadly forked; median lobe with wide, moderate emargination; paired apical lobes with somewhat slender appearance, inner surface with clustered microtrichia at apex above a conspicuous, bare toothlike projection; arms gradually rounded; three oblong and sclerotized spermathecae.
Distribution.
Malawi (new record), South Africa.
description: Published as part of Muller, Burgert S., Swart, Vaughn R. & Snyman, Louwrens P., 2024, Revision of Afrotropical Suragina Walker, 1859 (Diptera, Athericidae), pp. 247-327 in African Invertebrates 65 (2) on pages 247-327, DOI: 10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.140524