Curtonotum gladiiformis Kirk-Spriggs 2011, sp. n.
Creators: name: Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Curtonotidae
Curtonotum
Curtonotum gladiiformis

description: Curtonotum gladiiformis sp. n.   Figs 8, 21, 34, 41, 43, 45, 85, 99  
 Etymology: From Latin gladius (sword) and formis (in the form of), and refers to the sword-like shape of the distiphallus of this species.   
 Differential diagnosis: This species is probably most closely related to C. balachowskyi Tsacas. Both share the similarly-shaped scimitar-like distiphallus, with the incurved basal area (viewed laterally) and the subquadrate sternite 6, with a very shallow apical excision. Curtonotum gladiiformis differs from C. balachowskyi, however, in having the lateral margin of the apical border of the basiphallus developed into a medial and submedial spine, as opposed to C. balachowskyi, in which the right lateral border forms a distinct, angulate fold, and in having the setae on sternite 6 much longer on the apical margin.   
Description:  
 Male (primarily based on ex spirit-preserved HT).   
 As redescribed for C. balachowskyi, differing in the following respects: Measurements: Overall length unknown; length of head and thorax combined 2.9 mm; length of thorax and scutellum combined 2.6 mm (HT); wing 4.4 mm long (n = 1, PT).   
 Head (Figs 8, 21). Eye prominent, eye height/length ratio: 11:7 (HT); frons (Fig. 21), slightly wider than long, frons length/width ratio: 7:8 (HT), ground colour pale brown, darker brown towards vertex and between orbital plates forming conspicuous vittae that reach ventral margin; orbital plates and ocellar triangle golden-grey pruinose; ocelli clear brown; orbital plates extending from vertex of head to 0.8 length of frons, lateral margins with narrow silver pruinose fascia (adjacent to eye margin), slightly wider at antennal insertions; posterior orbital seta moderately strong, slightly longer than outer vertical seta; antennal scape and pedicel brown­grey pruinose, flagellomere 1 yellow pruinose basally, pitchy brown, grey pruinose apically, arista with 8 or 9 long dorsal branches and 3 or 4 ventral branches in addition to terminal fork; lunula yellow-grey pruinose; face with narrow silver fascia (adjacent to eye margin); occiput grey pruinose; gena narrow, eye height/genal height ratio: 10:1 (HT), silver pruinose throughout, very slightly darker beyond basal angle; palpus pale brown, brown microtrichose.   
 Thorax (Fig. 8). Mesonotum as described for C. boeny; presutural seta (missing on holotype and paratypes); anterior notopleural seta markedly longer than posterior; supra-alar seta shorter than posterior dorsocentral seta; postalar setae longer and stronger than acrostichal setae; postpronotum silver­yellow pruinose, with 11 finer black­brown setulae; anepisternum silver-grey pruinose, silver-yellow pruinose medially, surface with 24 fine setulae, some larger and arranged in 2 groups of 3; anepimeron, laterotergite and meron silver-grey to yellow-grey pruinose; katepisternum silver-grey to yellow-grey pruinose with darker grey macula in anterior half, dorsal katepisternal setae ca 0.4 length of ventral katepisternal setae, with 11 short, fine setulae at base and along posterior margin.   
 Scutellum. As in mesonotum, slightly paler yellow pruinose at posterior margin; weaker intermediate scutellar setula inserted at 0.8 distance between medial and lateral scutellar setulae.   
 Legs. Fore coxa with 9 brown setulae on anterior surface; mid coxa with 8 brown setulae; fore tibia with ctenidium of 12 spinules.   
 Wing (as in Fig. 34). Broad basally, tip evenly rounded, veins chestnut-brown, membrane very faintly infuscate brown throughout, very slightly darker in region of dm–cu crossvein; dm–cu crossvein evenly arched; haltere dirty white.   
 Abdomen. Tergite 1 simple, devoid of maculae; tergite 2 with oblique, subrectangular brown-black pruinose dorsolateral macula on either side and faint medial fascia; tergites 3–5 with broad, V-shaped concolourous median fasciae and well separated and extensive concolourous T-shaped dorsolateral macula, these close, but not merging with medial fascia, lateral margin of tergites 2–5 with subquadrate concolourous macula in basal ⅔; sternite 4, weakly sclerotised, quadrate, sides evenly narrowing to straight apical margin; sternite 5 similar, but wider and longer, both unmodified, with long, brown, sparse setulae arranged in irregular rows, lateral setulae longer and stronger; sternite 6 (Fig. 85) much broader than long (may appear narrower than Fig. 85 in undissected specimens), with very shallow apical excision and faint, transverse, brown maculae apically, clothed in extremely long, sparse, black, irregular setulae, especially along apical margin.   
 Terminalia (Figs 41, 43, 45). Hypandrium (Fig. 41, hy) long, with broad-based rounded-truncate dorsobasal lobe, posterior bridge dorsally and ventrally produced (rounded to slightly angulate in profile); hypandrial arm constricted medially (viewed laterally), with 2 setulae proximal to postgonite, the more lateral strong, ventrally-directed, the medial much smaller and weaker (or absent) (obscured by epandrium on Fig. 41), sclerotised area of medial lobes (viewed dorsally), with margins evenly rounded, convex medially, closely abutting, not overlapping; postgonite (Fig. 41, pg) long, thin and straight, with slight undulating anterior margin; epandrium (Fig. 41, ep) broader dorsally than ventrally (viewed laterally), evenly rounded on dorsal margin, posterior margin slightly angled, ventral margin with extensive row of long, regular to irregular, ventrally-directed setae; cercus (Fig. 41, ce) not prominent, longest setae longer than dorsal setae of epandrium; surstylus (Fig. 41, ss) long, widest basally, slightly curved in apical ⅔; phallus (as in Figs 43, ph, bp, dp; 45, bp, dp) C-shaped, very large, moderately sclerotised, brown; phallapodeme (Fig. 43, ph) fused to basiphallus, subtriangular (viewed laterally), with basal margin developed into two flat, narrow, subtriangular projections in basal 0.4, bifurcated at point of connection with hypandrium; ejaculatory apodeme (Fig. 43, ea) free, duct inserted at junction of phallapodeme and basiphallus; basiphallus (Fig. 43, bp) broad in basal region, with conspicuous internal bulge, then narrowed, moderately constricted in ca apical ⅔ (viewed dorsally); apical section (Fig. 45, bp) broad, right lateral margin evenly rounded and flat, developed into a bluntly­pointed ventromedial spine, with much smaller spine basolaterally; distiphallus (Figs 43, 45, dp) moderately sclerotised, extremely long, sword-like, with conspicuous curved indentation in basal third (viewed laterally), sclerotised area subdivided basally, with triangular window.   
Variation: In the two PT the basiphallus is not as markedly constricted in the apical ⅔ as in Fig. 43 and this may be the result of slight distortion in phallus of the HT.  
 Holotype: ♂ “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, near Isalo / National Park, in dry wash / east of Interpretive Center / 22°37.60’S, 45°21.49’E / 28.iii–9.iv. 2003, 885 m / M.E. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala / Malaise trap in open area / MA­02­11B­60 // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / gladiiformis sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2010 [red card]” (CAS). In good condition, some head setae missing; card-pointed; dissected, abdomen and terminalia in micro-vial pinned beneath specimen.   
 Paratypes (all labelled: “ PARATYPE ♂ / Curtonotum / gladiiformis sp. n. / A.H. Kirk-Spriggs 2010 [blue card]”): 1♂ same data as holotype, except: “ 3–10.ii.2002, MA­02­11B­14” [right wing detached and glued to card]; 1♂ “ 6–14.xii.2002, MA­02­11B­49 // BMSA(DNA)#0050” (both CAS).   
Distribution (Fig. 99): Apparently confined to the Wooded Grassland­Bushland vegetation type, in the Central Highlands biome. In the Central biogeographical zone and Subarid bioclimatic zone (Figs 105–107; Tables 1–3; Appendix II).
description: Published as part of Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., 2011, A revision of Afrotropical Quasimodo flies (Diptera: Schizophora; Curtonotidae). Part III - the Malagasy species of Curtonotum Macquart, with descriptions of six new species, pp. 391 in African Invertebrates 52 (2) on pages 409-413, DOI: 10.5733/afin.052.0212, http://zenodo.org/record/8342930