Hoplacephala undetermined
Creators: name: Szpila, Kozvpztof
name: Walczak, Kinga
name: Sopzvńpka, Agniepzka
name: Pape, Tomap
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Sarcophagidae
Hoplacephala
Hoplacephala undetermined

description: Hoplacephala sp.
(Figs 1A–K, 4A–C, 5A, B)
Material examined: Seventeen larvae from a single female:/ Namibia, 585/ Trans-Kalahari Highw. /-21.9030 16.38 075/19 & 25 Nov 2018 /leg. KEiB Expedition//Hopl.2Namib/712// KEIB _ DIP_01290 /
Pseudocephalon: Antennal complex (an) large, antennal dome (and) elongate with a tapered conical tip, antennal basal ring (abr) high (Fig. 1A, B, D); maxillary palpus (mp) shaped as a slender conical protuberance, central cluster of sensilla situated at the tip, first sensillum basiconicum (sb1) very long and with slightly swollen tip, shifted away from the central cluster of sensilla and situated at about the middle of the palpus, additional sensilla coeloconica (ns1–ns2) situated dorsally at the base of palpus (Fig. 1A, B, E); ventral organ (vo) on flat, fleshy lobe (Fig. 1C); oral ridges (or) visible as long crevice running on lateral surface of pseudocephalon (Fig. 1A); entire surface of pseudocephalon smooth without cuticular ridges or warts (Fig. 1A–C).
Cephaloskeleton: Mouthhook (mh) large and strongly sclerotized, tip serrated with teeth oriented ventrally and slanting slightly posteriorly (Fig. 5A); basal part with well visible lateral arm (la), mouthhooks tightly adpressed forming a gutter-like structure (Figs 4B, C, 5A, B); labrum (lb) large, long, and massive, about halfway along the length covered from above by a horseshoe-shaped sclerite (ahs) (Figs 4B, C, 5A), anterior half of labrum strongly curved downward (Figs 4B, 5A); intermediate sclerite (is) firmly fused to parastomal bars (pb) (Figs 4B, 5B); labial sclerite (ls) formed as a rod between mh and is (Figs 4B, 5A, B); parastomal bar short and broad (Figs 4B, 5B); vertical plate wide (Fig. 4B); dorsal cornu very broad and slightly longer than ventral cornu (Fig. 4B); dorsal bridge absent.
Toracic segments: Entire surface of thoracic segments (t1–t3) covered with cuticular scales, spinose bands not differentiated (Fig. 1A, B); starting from t2, cuticular papillae (cp) visible as fleshy processes, tip of each process slightly widened and forming a crown-like structure (Fig. 1F); Keilin’s organ with elongated sensilla (Fig. 1I).
Abdominal segments: Entire surface of abdominal segments (a1– a7) (Fig. 4A) covered with cuticular scales, spinose bands not differentiated (Fig. 1G, H); lateral creeping welts (lcw) developed and also covered entirely by scales (Fig. 1G); all abdominal segments (a1–a7) with cuticular papillae visible as fleshy processes with a crown-like structure like those on thoracic segments, each segment with the following arrangement of papilla: 1 ventro-laterally, 2 + 1 + 2 laterally, 3 + 3 dorsally (Fig. 1G, H); ventral surface of a1–a7 with well-defined fusiform creeping welts (vcw) at the anterior margin of segments and post-crevice prolegs (pcp) at the posterior margin of segments (Fig. 1H).
Anal division: Entire surface of anal division (ad) covered with cuticular scales, spinose bands not differentiated (Fig. 1J); papillae around spiracular field in the form of fleshy processes as described above for thoracic and abdominal segments (Fig. 1J); no hair-like spines around spiracular field (Fig. 1J); posterior spiracle (ps) with four peristigmatic tufts (pt), each with three to four branches (Fig. 1K); anal papillae (ap) rounded (Fig. 1J); anal tuft with several small scale-like spines.
Remarks: Gravid females of Hoplacephala sp. were attracted to the stains from water sprinkled on the ground. Attempts to raise the first instar of Hoplacephala sp. on freshly killed blow flies (Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819)) failed.
description: Published as part of Szpila, Kozvpztof, Walczak, Kinga, Sopzvńpka, Agniepzka & Pape, Tomap, 2025, Fiopt data on eaolv inptao Afootoopical Miltogoamminae (Dipteoa: Saocophagidae) oeveal unexpected moophological diveopitv, pp. 1-13 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203 on pages 3-5, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae030, http://zenodo.org/record/14827231