Eremohaplomydas stomachoris Boschert &amp; Dikow 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Boschert, Claire
name: Dikow, Torsten
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Mydidae
Eremohaplomydas
Eremohaplomydas stomachoris

description: Eremohaplomydas stomachoris sp. nov. Figs 16-18, 33, 57 Diagnosis. The species is distinguished from congeners by the macrosetose dorso-median occipital setae, the small and slender size (wing length 6.3 mm), and the restricted distribution in the northern Namib Desert. Etymology. Greek <i>stoma</i> = mouth, <i>choris</i> = without. The specific epithet refers to the extremely short and minute proboscis in this species. Description. <b> Female. <i>Head</i></b> : black, facial gibbosity brown, in general golden pubescent, ventrally and posteriorly white pubescent, white setose, regular, cylindrical setae; width distinctly greater than thorax (at postpronotal lobe), interocular distance on vertex larger than at ventral eye margin; vertex between compound eyes ± horizontally straight, medially only slightly below dorsal eye margin, vertex golden pubescent, light brown; ocellar triangle apubescent; facial gibbosity distinct, well-developed and discernible in lateral view, mystax covering entire facial gibbosity, sparse, white; parafacial area approximately as wide as ½ width of central facial gibbosity (at same level); frons not elevated, golden pubescent, yellow; occiput predominantly grey pubescent, dorsally golden pubescent, yellowish to light brown setose, median occipital sclerite yellowish macrosetose; pocl macrosetae absent; postgena sparsely white pubescent, long, sparsely white setose; clypeus comprised of single sclerite, entirely sclerotized medially, flat to protruding (convex) ventrally, ventrally simple, posterior to proboscis, laterally connected to face by sclerotized cuticle; proboscis very short, vestigial, knob-like, light brown; labellum small, as wide as prementum, length indiscernible, sclerotization indiscernible; maxillary palpus laterally compressed (triangular), light brown, slightly longer than proboscis. <i>Antenna</i>: brown; scape brown setose dorsally, asetose ventrally; pedicel light brown setose dorsally and ventrally; postpedicel cylindrical in proximal ¼, symmetrically bulbous in distal ¾, ≥ 4.0 times as long as combined length of scape and pedicel, asetose; apical seta-like sensory element situated apically in cavity on postpedicel. <i>Thorax</i>: light brown, predominantly grey pubescent; scutum black, brown posteriorly, surface entirely smooth, predominantly grey pubescent, broad median and sublateral stripes reaching transverse suture brown pubescent, postsuturally with 2 large sublateral sparsely grey pubescent spots, scutal setation comprised of distinct rows of long dorsocentral setae and lateral scutal setae; dc setae pre- and postsuturally white or yellow, acr setae absent, lateral scutal setae yellow, npl setae 0, spal setae 0, pal setae 0; proepisternum apubescent, long white setose; proepimeron grey pubescent, asetose; antepronotum antero-medially smooth (without any indentation); lateral postpronotum long white setose; postpronotal lobe yellow, white pubescent, long white setose; scutellum grey pubescent, discal scutellar setae absent, apical scutellar setae absent; mesopostnotum grey pubescent, asetose; anatergite grey pubescent, asetose; katatergite grey pubescent, long white setose, slightly elevated, smoothly convex; anepisternum grey pubescent, anteriorly white setose, posteriorly long white setose, scattered white setose antero-ventrally; katepisternum dorsally grey pubescent, ventrally apubescent, single white seta posteriorly; anepimeron grey pubescent, long white setose; katepimeron grey pubescent, asetose; meron grey pubescent dorsally, apubescent ventrally, asetose; metakatepisternum large; metanepisternum grey pubescent, asetose; metepimeron yellow (contrasting color of T1), grey pubescent, long white setose, ± flat, infra-halter sclerite absent. <i>Legs</i>: light brown to brown, setation comprised of white to yellowish setae, femur with laterally compressed setae; pro coxa sparsely white pubescent, short white macrosetose; mes coxa sparsely white pubescent, short white macrosetose anteriorly, long white laterally compressed setae posteriorly; met coxa laterally unsclerotized (membrane between coxa and metakatepisternum clearly visible), sparsely white pubescent, short white macrosetose anteriorly, long white laterally compressed setae posteriorly; met trochanter sparsely setose medially; pro + mes femur light brown to brown, met femur light brown to brown, evenly clubbed in distal ¾, macrosetose, 1 antero-ventral and 1 postero-ventral row of macrosetae, postero-ventrally long white, appressed setose; pro tibia laterally arched; mes tibia laterally arched; met tibia straight, met tibia cylindrical with distinct ventral keel without terminal spur, 2 long macrosetae originating near tip of keel, postero-laterally regular setose only; pro + mes tarsomere 1 approximately as long as individual tarsomeres 2, 3, or 4, met tarsomere 1 as long as individual tarsomeres 2, 3, or 4; pulvillus well-developed, as long as well-developed claw, and as wide as base of claw; setiform empodium absent. <i>Wing</i>: length = 6.3 mm; hyaline throughout, veins light brown, microtrichia absent; cells r1, r4, m3, + cua closed, r5 open; C terminating at junction with R1; Sc long, terminating in C proximal to r-m; R4 terminates in R1; R5 terminates in R1 and R4 simultaneously; auxiliary vein (R3) at base of R4 absent; R4 and R5 widest apart medially; r-m distinct, R4+5 and M1 apart, connected by crossvein; M1 straight at r-m (not curving anteriorly), M1 (or M1+M2) terminates in C (not reaching wing margin); base of M3+M4 present, M3+M4 not terminating together in C (not reaching wing margin), M4 and CuA split proximally to m-cu (cell m3 narrow proximally); CuP straight, cell cup wide, CuP and wing margin further apart proximally than distally; alula well-developed; halter light yellow, apubescent, asetose. <i>Abdomen</i>: light brown to brown, setation comprised of scattered white setae, T2-4 parallel-sided and not constricted waist-like, T surface entirely smooth; T1 brown with yellowish posterior margin, T2-7 brown medially and laterally with yellowish posterior margins, sub-laterally yellowish, slightly angled longitudinal striping; T1 grey pubescent, T2-3 sparsely grey pubescent narrowly anteriorly and medially, T4-7 apubescent; T1-7 short white setose; S1-7 light brown; S apubescent; S1-7 sparsely short white setose; bullae on T2 oval, small, yellow, surface entirely smooth, T2 surface anterior to bullae smooth. &amp;female; <i>abdomen and genitalia</i>: densely arranged anteriorly directed setae present on T7-8 and S7-8; T8 anterior apodeme indiscernible (not dissected), auxiliary spiracle indiscernible (not dissected); T9 formed by wide, rectangular sclerite with median protuberance; T9+10 entirely fused (sclerites indistinguishable), T10 divided into 2 heavily sclerotized acanthophorite plates; 5-7 acanthophorite spines per plate. <b>Male.</b> unknown. Type locality. Namibia: Kunene: Kaokoveld, Orupembe, 21 km S (18°19'24"S, 012°29'12"E, -18.32333, 12.48667). Material examined. Namibia: Kunene: 1&amp;female; Kaokoveld, Orupembe, 21 km S, 18°19'24"S, 012°29'12"E, 1970-05-01, Brown, H. (AAM-003035, Holotype, SANC). Distribution, biodiversity hotspots, phenology, and biology. Known only from a single locality in the Namib Desert in northern Namibia (Fig. 57). A rarely collected species known only from a single female specimen collected in 1970 (Table 1). The species is not known to occur in any currently recognized biodiversity hotspot. Adult flies are active in May in mid-autumn (Table 2), which is a time at the end of a moister period and decreasing temperatures in this part of the Namib Desert (data for Anabib, Namibia, see https://www.worldweatheronline.com/anabib-weather/kunene/na.aspx). Nothing is known of the biology. Remarks. The type locality of <i>Eremohaplomydas stomachoris</i> sp. nov. lies geographically very close to that of <i>Eremohaplomydas desertorum</i>. However, the single female specimen of <i>E. stomachoris</i> sp. nov. is morphologically more similar to <i>Eremohaplomydas gobabebensis</i> sp. nov. from the central Namib Desert (more than 600 km further south) than it is to <i>E. desertorum</i> (see also Discussion). Furthermore, <i>E. stomachoris</i> sp. nov. has been collected in early May, at least a month earlier in autumn than <i>E. desertorum</i> (Table 2).
description: Published as part of <i>Boschert, Claire &amp; Dikow, Torsten, 2022, Taxonomic revision of the mydas-fly genera Eremohaplomydas Bequaert, 1959, Haplomydas Bezzi, 1924, and Lachnocorynus Hesse, 1969 (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae), pp. 19-75 in African Invertebrates 63 (1)</i> on page 19, DOI: 10.3897/afrinvertebr.63.76309