Limnophora antennalis Couri & Pont, 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Couri, Márcia
name: Pont, Adrian C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Muscidae
Limnophora
Limnophora antennalis

description: Limnophora antennalis sp. nov.
Figs 26–31.
Type material. Holotype ♂, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Free State, Harrismith, Nesshurst farm, 2826′53.3′S, 2909′14.2′E, Malaise traps, Leucosedea -scrub & stream bed, 17–18.ix.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BMSA (D)11159 (BMSA).
Paratypes, 29♂ 11♀. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 10♂ 1♀, same data as holotype, except: BMSA (D)10793, BMSA (D)10794, BMSA (D)10818, BMSA (D)10834, BMSA (D)10836, BMSA (D)10837, BMSA (D)11101, BMSA (D)11117, BMSA (D)11122; BMSA (D)11186, BMSA (D)11213 (all BMSA); 2♂, same data as holotype, except: BMSA (D)11109, BMSA (D)11153 (MNRJ); 1♂, same data as holotype, except: BMSA (D)11172 male (BMNH). RSA: 7♂,Free State, Harrismith, Scotland farm at: 2758′59.5′S, 2937′09.8′E, Malaise traps, dense Leucosedea -dominated scrub, 10–12.xi.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BMSA (D)11961, BMSA (D)11968, BMSA (D)12244, BMSA (D)13024, BMSA (D)13048, BMSA (D)13053, BMSA (D)13120 (all BMSA); 2♀, same data, BMSA (D)12218, BMSA (D)13047 (MNRJ); 1♂, same data but 26–29.iii.2012, BMSA (D) 35916 (BMSA). RSA, KwaZulu-Natal: 1♂, Drakensberg, Robinson Bush, 2834.657′S, 2902.875′E, sweeping, indigenous Afromontane forest understorey, 18.ix.2009 (A.H. Kirk-Spriggs), BMSA (D)10948 (BMSA); 2♂, Drakensberg Mts, Giant’s Castle Reserve, Bushman’s River below Camp, S29.16.709, E29.30.984, 5661 feet, 15.xi.2006 (A.C.Pont & D.Werner) (BMNH); 3♂, 2♀, Drakensberg Mts, Giant’s Castle Reserve, Bushman’s River S of Camp, S29.16.961, E29.30.944, 5813 feet, 16.xi.2006 (A.C.Pont & D.Werner) (BMNH); 2♂, Drakensberg Mts, Royal Natal Nat. Park, Gudu Falls, S28.40.971, E28.55.778, 5590 feet, 18.xi.2006 (A.C.Pont & D.Werner) (BMNH); 6♀, Underberg district, Road to Sani Pass, stream by police post, right side, S29.37.797, E29.24.637, 5388 feet, 22.xi.2006 (A.C.Pont & D.Werner) (BMNH).
Diagnosis. In the group with a broad male frons and 2 orbital setae, dorsocentrals 2+3, mid femur with 1 posterior preapical seta, and mid tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae, L. antennalis sp. nov. can be recognised by the unusually long upper posterior katepisternal and inner postalar setae combined with a virtually bare arista and haltere knob brown to dark brown.
Description. General coloration. Ground-colour black with grey dusting that is sometimes tinged with blue, especially on pleura. Frontal vitta black, with frontal triangle only weakly indicated; fronto-orbital plate brownishgrey pruinose, sometimes with silvery pruinosity outside the setae or even entirely silvery; parafacial, face and gena silvery pruinose. Antenna, arista and palpus dark brown. Scutum brown with 2 grey-bluish vittae between acrostichal and dorsocentral rows of setae; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, pleura and postalar callus light grey dusted with bluish reflexions. Anterior spiracle brown. Scutellum dark brown dusted, occasionally with a partial or complete grey median vitta. Wing clear. Calypters white, haltere brown to dark brown. Legs dark brown. Abdomen dark brown, tergites 3–5 each with a triangular area of light grey dust in anterolateral corners, syntergite 1 + 2 and tergites 3–4 with a narrow grey or brownish-grey median vitta.
♂. Measurements. Body length: 2.9 mm; wing length: 3.0 mm
Head. Eye bare, frons at level of anterior ocellus about ⅓ of head-width, margins parallel; 3 pairs of inclinate frontal setae and 2 pairs of reclinate orbitals, and with some fine setulae outside the frontal setae; inner vertical seta long and outer one short; ocellar seta moderate. Antenna inserted a little above the mid-level of eye, postpedicel very long, reaching mouth-margin, almost 4 × the length of pedicel; arista a little enlarged at base, almost bare, the hairs shorter than its basal width. In lateral view, mouth-margin projecting a little beyond level of profrons. Proboscis shining black; palpus filiform.
Thorax. Dorsocentrals 2 + 3; acrostichal setulae in 2 rows, prescutellar pair not differentiated; 2 postpronotals; 1 presutural and 2 postsutural intra-alars, posterior pair short; 1 presutural and 1 postsutural supra-alar; 2 postalars, the inner one very long; prealar absent. Notopleuron with two setae similar in size. Scutellum with one sub-basal pair of setae and one long apical pair, without a downcurved preapical discal setula, lateral and ventral surfaces bare. Anepisternum with a series of 4 setae, the first and the last longer. Katepisternals 1 + 2, the upper posterior seta unusually long. Lower calypter about 1.5 × the length of the upper one.
Legs. Fore femur with rows of posterodorsal and posteroventral setae, the posteroventrals short in basal half; fore tibia with 1 dorsal preapical and 1 posteroventral apical seta, both short; mid femur with 3-4 anterior setae in basal half and 1 posterodorsal preapical, bare ventrally; mid tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae and one short dorsal preapical, anteroventral, posteroventral and ventral surfaces with an apical seta, the last one the longest and strongest; hind femur with an anterodorsal row of setae, and 2 anteroventral setae on apical fifth, otherwise bare ventrally; hind tibia with 1 anteroventral median seta; 1 anterodorsal inserted a little above the anteroventral; dorsal preapical seta short, without an anterodorsal; ventral apical seta longer.
Wing. Veins bare except for vein R4+5 which has a setula on the node at base; veins R4+5 and M parallel at wing-tip; costal spine not differentiated.
Abdomen. Tergites 3–5 with medium-sized setae, mostly lateral marginals. Sternite 1 bare. Sternite 5 as in Fig. 26.
Terminalia. Cercal plate and surstylus as in Figs 27-28. Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views as in Figs 29-30.
♀. Measurements. Body length: 3.3 mm; wing length: 3.4 mm
Similar to ♂. Frons broader, at level of anterior ocellus well over ⅓ of head-width; fronto-orbital plate more extensively silvery-grey pruinose; frontal triangle brown dusted and reaching lunule. Grey notal vittae broader; scutellum grey dusted with large brown bristle-bots around the sub-basal lateral and apical setae. Knob of haltere yellow. Abdomen with the grey dusted vittae and anterolateral areas more extensive, tergite 5 mostly grey dusted.
Terminalia. Ovipositor and spermatheca as in Fig. 31.
Distribution. Republic of South Africa (Free State and KwaZulu-Natal).
Etymology. The name refers to its long antenna, from the Latin antenna.
Remarks. The species is close to L. praeapicalis Emden, 1951, which also has very long posterior postalar and upper posterior katepisternal setae. But L. praeapicalis has aristal hairs longer than basal diameter of arista, the dark spots on tergites 3 and 4 extending down on to the sides of the abdomen, knob of haltere yellow, frontal triangle velvety black and not reaching lunula.
description: Published as part of Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian C., 2014, New species of Afrotropical Muscidae (Diptera: Muscoidea), pp. 301-320 in Zootaxa 3852 (3) on pages 312-313, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3852.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/229938