Limnophora nuda Couri & Pont, 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Couri, Márcia
name: Pont, Adrian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Muscidae
Limnophora
Limnophora nuda

description: Limnophora nuda sp. nov.
(Figs 49–52)
Type material. Holotype male, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu Natal: Drakensberg Mts, 16.xi.2006, A.C. Pont & D. Werner / Giant’s Castle Reserve, Champagne Pools, 4942 ft, S29.13.290, E029.32.838 (BMNH).
Paratypes, 1 female, same labels as holotype (BMNH); 4 males (2 NMSA, 1 BMNH, 1 MNRJ), KwaZulu Natal: Drakensberg Mts, 14.xi.2006, A.C. Pont & D. Werner / Giant’s Castle Reserve, Bushman’s River at Lolambazo, 4875 ft, S29.13.051, EO 29.33.543; 2 males (BMNH, OUMNH), 1 female (BMNH), KwaZulu Natal: Drakensberg Mts, 19.xi.2006, A.C. Pont & D. Werner / Royal Natal Nat. Park, River Thukela by entrance, 4584 ft, S28.41.186, EO28.57.226.
Diagnosis. In the group with a broad male frons and 2 orbital setae, dorsocentrals 2+3, mid femur with 1 posterior preapical seta, but mid tibia with only one posterodorsal seta; prosternum bare; wing with no ventral setulae on node of R4+5.
Description. General coloration. Ground-colour dark brown with grey-bluish dusting. Frontal vitta brown dusted; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, face and gena silvery-white 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. Scutellum brown, with a grey median vitta. Anterior spiracle grey-bluish. Wing clear. Calypters white, haltere yellow. Legs dark brown, coxae, trochanters and femora grey-bluish dusted. Abdomen dark brown, tergites 3–5 each with a triangular area of greybluish dust in anterolateral corners, syntergite 1+2 and tergites 3–5 with a narrow grey-bluish median vitta.
Male. Body length: 3.6 mm; wing length: 3.0 mm
Head. Eye bare, frons at level of anterior ocellus about one-third of head-width, margins parallel; 2 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, almost reaching mouth-margin, about 4 times 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. Gena deep. 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 intraalars, posterior pair short; 1 presutural and 1 postsutural supraalar; 2 postalars, the posterior one very long; prealar absent; prosternum bare. Notopleuron with two setae similar in size. Scutellum with one sub-basal pair of setae and one long apical pair, lateral and ventral surfaces bare. Anepisternum with a posterior series of 4 setae, the second and the last longer. Katepisternals 1+2, the lower posterior seta fine. Lower calypter about 1.5 times the length of the upper one.
Legs. Fore femur with rows of posterodorsal and posteroventral setae, the posteroventrals more spaced; fore tibia with 1 dorsal preapical and 1 posteroventral apical seta, both short; mid femur with 1 posterodorsal preapical; mid tibia with 1 median posterodorsal and 1 submedian posteroventral setae, one short dorsal preapical, and anteroventral, posteroventral and ventral surfaces with an apical seta, the latter the longest and strongest; hind femur with an anterodorsal row of setae, and 2 anteroventral setae on apical fifth; hind tibia with 1 anterodorsal median seta, 1 anteroventral submedian seta; dorsal preapical seta and ventral apical short.
Wing. Veins bare, no ventral setulae on node of vein R4+5; 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. 49.
Terminalia. Cercal plate and surstylus as in Figs 50–51. Aedeagal complex as in Fig 52.
Female. Body length: 5.0 mm; wing length: 5.2 mm.
Similar to male.
Distribution. Republic of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).
Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin “nudus”, meaning “naked”, and refers to absence of setulae on wing vein R4+5.
Remarks. In Emden’s (1951) key the new species runs to L. preapicalis at couplet 5, differing by the general colour of the body and by the bare R4+5.
description: Published as part of Couri, Márcia & Pont, Adrian, 2017, Afrotropical Limnophora Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera, Muscidae) with the description of four new species, pp. 501-536 in Zootaxa 4216 (6) on pages 516-518, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.242395