Stylogaster irwini Stuke 2012, sp. n.
Creators: name: Stuke, Jens-Hermann
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Conopidae
Stylogaster
Stylogaster irwini

description: Stylogaster irwini sp. n.   Figs 104–114  
Etymology: The species is named in honour of Michael E. Irwin (Vail, Arizona), who organized “An Arthropod Survey of Madagascar’s Protected Areas (1998–2009)”, and collected numerous conopids used in this study.  
 Diagnosis: Stylogaster irwini sp. n. does not possess ocellar setae, this being an excellent character to distinguish the species from any Afrotropical Stylogaster. The new species also has diagnostic terminalia, with dense, strong, black setulae at the apex of the surstylus (Fig. 109), strong spines on the ventral conjunction of the cerci (Fig. 112) and no conspicuous setulae or setae on the phallus sheath (Fig. 113).   
Description (based on holotype):  
 Male.   
 Overall length: ca 6.5 mm.   
 Head: 1.7 mm high. Eye pale brown, with a few scattered, inconspicuous ommatrichia. Facets on inner side slightly enlarged. Ocelli yellow­brown. Ocellar tubercle brown, without ocellar setae. Ocellar triangle occupies virtually entire frons, reaching as far as antennae (Fig. 106). Ocellar triangle yellow, with some pale brown maculae (Fig. 106). Frons lateral to ocellar triangle yellow, with 1–3 small, defined, fronto­orbital setae. Scapus and pedicellus pale yellow, basal flagellomere orange­brown. Arista with 3 segments, two pale yellow basally, and brown distally.Arista situated dorsally at apex of basal flagellomere (Fig. 105). Scapus with few black setulae dorsally. Pedicellus with black setulae. Shape of antenna as illustrated in Fig. 105. One damaged vertical seta. Face pale yellow with silver pruinosity. Occiput pale brown, distinctly silver pruinose; with row of regularly-arranged small white setulae dorsally, and several longer white setulae ventrally. Some long white setulae on mouth opening. Proboscis pale brown basally, becoming dark brown distally, except for the yellow-brown distal division of labellum. Labrum ca 2.6 mm, labellum approximately same length.   
 Thorax: Yellow-brown; mesoscutum (with exception of postpronotum and postalar calli) and anepisternum orange-brown.All setae black, with exception of golden seta on propleuron. Two notopleural setae (the ventral less than half length of dorsal), 1 supra-alar seta (1 damaged), 2 postalar setae (4 damaged), 1 praescutellar dorsocentral seta (1 damaged), 1 apical scutellar seta (1 damaged), 1 seta on anepimeron and 1 seta above fore coxa on propleuron. A few black setulae on anepimeron. Black semi-adpressed setulae on mesoscutum.   
 Wing: Length 4.7 mm. Generally clothed in microtrichia, but base of sc, base of  r 1  and  r 2+3 , part of br, bm, base of dm and cup without microtrichia. Hind margin of wing with black or brown setulae. Venation as in Fig. 108. Haltere uniformly pale yellow, knob slightly darker, with areas of sensillae at base.   
 Legs: Fore and mid legs pale yellow­white. Hind leg yellow­brown, hind tibia with yellow­white subapical area, tarsi black. Fore and mid legs with white and black setulae, hind leg with black setulae only. Setae on fore coxa white and black, mid coxa with white setae, hind coxa with black setae. Fore coxa with 3 distinct setae and several white setulae. Mid coxa with 1 white seta and additional white setulae. Hind coxa with lateral black seta and additionally with strong black setulae distally on anterior surface. Hind trochanter without teeth or dense setulae. Mid femur posteriorly on basal half with row of regularly-arranged black setulae and also a few longer setulae on ventral surface. Hind tibia with 3 or 4 short black spines on anterior surface. Claws dark brown basally, black distally. Pulvilli pale yellow-white. Empodia short, pale yellow-white.   
 Abdomen: Mainly orange-brown, tergites 2–4 with brown hind margin, tergite 6 pale brown medially (Fig. 107). Tergites with semi­adpressed black setulae. Tergite 1 with long white setulae laterally, tergite 2 with 4 or 5 black lateral setae on either side of anterior margin. Abdomen of holotype not dissected, but terminalia apparently match those of a paratype. Terminalia as illustrated in Figs 109–114. Cercus triangular (Fig. 111). Dorsal margin virtually straight. Cercus with long setae ventrally (Fig. 112). No black setae. Surstylus with slightly sclerotized long tooth. No setulae on inner surface. Phallus sheath as illustrated in Fig. 113. The black colouration at apex is conspicuous.   
 Female. Unknown.   
 Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR: (1) “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov. / Fiherenana, 18.­22.VII.2003 / 23°10.619'S 43°57.685'E / colls: Frontier Wilderness Prj. / ex: malaise trap MGF078”; (2) “CASLOT 044922”; (3) “ Holotypus / Stylogaster / irwini ♂ / des. Stuke, 2011 (CAS)”. Most hind tarsal segments and some setae damaged, holotype otherwise in good condition.   
 Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: Toliara: 4♂ same as holotype (CAS & J­HS); 1♂ Majunga Ampijoroa National Park, 160 km N of Maevatananaon RN 443 m, 16°19.16'S 46°48.80'E, 8–17 xii.2002, deciduous dry forest, M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Malaise trap (CAS); 1♂ Ampijoroa, Mahajanga, 11.i.1995, M. & E. Howe (DC).   
Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.  
Bionomics: Sampled in deciduous dry forest at low elevation (443 m).
description: Published as part of Stuke, Jens-Hermann, 2012, A revision of Afrotropical species of Stylogaster Macquart (Diptera: Conopidae), with descriptions of twenty-one new species and an identification key, pp. 267 in African Invertebrates 53 (1) on pages 301-304, DOI: 10.5733/afin.053.0118, http://zenodo.org/record/7915351