Atherigona (Atherigona) naqvii Steyskal, 1966

Atherigona naqvii Steyskal, 1966: 53; Deeming 1971: 160, figs 61–66; Deeming 1975: 2; Pont 1991: 341; Deeming 2000: 285; Dike 2003: 220 (distribution); Deeming 2008: 718; Muller 2015: 886, fig. 37; Muller & Mostovski 2018: 353, fig. 17; Deeming 2019b: 91.

Previous records: Daan Vijoen (Deeming 1975); Brandberg: Messum Valley, 21°13.29'S, 14°30.98'E; Hungorob Valley, 21°11.40'S, 14°31.69'E; Wasserfallfläche, 21°10.77'S, 14°32.87'E (Deeming 2000: 285).

Material examined: 87♂, 63♀, Brandberg, Mason Shelter, 21°04'39''S, 14°05'43''E, 1750 m, 05–14.iii.2002, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap, riverbed ; 3♂, 2♀, Brandberg, Mason Shelter, 21°04'42''S, 14°35'33''E, 1750 m, 05–14.iii.2002, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, light trap sample ; 4♂, Brandberg, Wasserfallfläche, below, 21°10'43''S, 14°32'51''E, 18–22.iii.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap sample ; 1♂, Bushmanland, CDM Camp Tsumkwe, SE1920 Cb, v.1993, S.V. Green, pitfall traps ; 2♂, Etosha National Park, Okaukuejo, SE 1918 Bb, 12.iv.1989, J. Irish & E. Marais ; 1♂, Etosha National Park, Renostervlei, 2 km E, 19°09'59''S, 14°33'12''E, 26– 27.xii.1999, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN27, Malaise trap ; 86♂, 8♀, Gobabis District, De Hoek 878, 21°56'26''S, 20°58'55''E, 03–06.ii.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap samples ; 9♂, Gobabis District, Somerkoms 521, 22°01'59''S, 19°57'22''E, 06–08.ii.2001, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [J.] Wheeler, Malaise trap sample ; 1♀, Grootfontein District, Dakota 424, SE1917 Ac, 13–23.xii.1993, M. Pusch, light trap ; 9♂, same data, except: yellow tray; 10♂, same data, except: Malaise trap; 1♂, Grootfontein District, Kupferberg, 19°39'36''S, 17°33'59''E, 20.i.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, sweeping roadside grasses & reeds ; 1♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala campsite, 17°50'01''S, 24°36'09''E, 22–24.ii.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap ; 1♂, 2♀, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala campsite, 17°50'01''S, 24°36'09''E, 28–29.xii.2002, A. H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, hanging trap baited fish ; 1♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 01–04.iii.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample ; 1♂, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala pan, 17°50'00''S, 24°35'58''E, 23–27.xii.2002, A. H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap sample ; 5♂, 1♀, Katima Mulilo District, Salambala forest, 17°50'02''S, 24°36'20''E, 23–29.xii.2002, A. H. & M.K. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise traps ; 2♂, 3♀, Kaudom Game Reserve, Dussi, 10 km W of, 18°48'32''S, 20°43'57''E, 29–30.xii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [D.J.] Mann, Malaise traps ; 1♂, Kaokoland, Kunene River, 17°16'S, 13°47'E, 14–17.i.1993, E. Marais ; 3♂, Kaokoland, Ondorusu, 17°25'S, 13°57'E, 18.i.1993, E. Marais ; 1♂, Khorixas District, Amkarub 269, granite hills at: 19°49'17''S, 14°39'53''E, 24–26.v.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise traps ; 1♀, Mahango Game Park at: 18°10'26''S, 21°43'12''E, 01.i.1999, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, sweeping grasses ; 260♂, 149♀, Mariental District, Viljoenskroon 507, 25°10'S, 19°58'E, Malaise trap, 24.i–02.ii.1998, G. Olivier, Malaise trap ; 3♂, same data, except: 3–9.xii. 1998; 6♂, 10♀, Mariental District, Viljoenskroon 507, 26°08'39''S, 19°57'11''E, 07–09.ii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap ; 43♂, Otjinene District, Epukiro River, 3 km N at: 21°22'26''S, 20°06'09''E, 09–11.ii.2001, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & E. Marais, Malaise trap sample ; 18♂, 31♀, Okahandja District, Erichsfelde 44, 21°35'46''S, 16°56'16''E, 20–22.iii.2003, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise traps ; 1♂, Omaruru District, Brandberg Wes, Ugab R. nr, 20°57'39''S, 14°07'55''E, 21–24.x.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap sample ; 2♂, Opuwa District, Ekuju village, Kunene River, 17°19'30''S, 13°48'56''E, 11–12.x.1999, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap riverine forest ; 1♂, Opuwo District, Sesfontein Fort, 19°07'15''S, 13°37'06''E, 01–03.i.2000, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN38, sweeping ; 3♂, Rehoboth District, Spitskop SW 500 at: 24°07'39''S, 18°24'59''E, 17.i.2000, E. Marais & D. Mann, MMN49, donkey dung ; 1♂, 1♀, Rundu District, Hamoye Nat. Forest, 18°12'S, 19°43'E, 05–08.iii.1999, E. Marais, Malaise trap ; 1♂, 3♀, Rundu District, Katara: Okavango River, 17°48'56''S, 18°53'38''E, 20–23.i.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap ; 2♂, 2♀, Rundu District, Katara, 1 km S of, 17°50'25''S, 18°54'26''E, 22–23.i.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise traps, primary forest ; 1♂, 2♀, Rundu District, Matende River, 17°54'46''S, 19°35'16''E, 20–21.i.1998, E. Marais & A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap, primary woodland ; 3♂, 1♀, Rundu District, Mile 46 Agricultural Research Station, 18°18'22''S, 19°15'24''E, 21–24.iv.2001, [E.] Marais, [S.] Kasch & [K.] Vohland, Acacia dominated interdune, Malaise trap, BIOTA #01.101.01.7.04 ; 2♂, Rundu District, Mile 46, 18°18'39''S, 19°15'29''E, 25–27.iii.2003, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise traps ; 3♀, Rundu District, Mutompo area, 18°18'37.2''S, 19°15'36.7''E, 21–25.iv.2001, [E.] Marais, [S.] Kasch & [K.] Vohland, Malaise trap, deciduous woods, BIOTA#02.101.01.7.04 ; 1♀, Rundu District, Rundu (Kavango Lodge), 17°54'43''S, 19°45'33''E, 27–29.iii.2003, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & W. Mey, light trap ; 4♂, 1♀, Rundu District, Simanya: Okavango River, 17°33'17''S, 18°32'30''E, 23–24.i.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs & [E.] Marais, Malaise trap, primary woodland ; 4♂, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namib Desert Research Station, Kuiseb River, 23°33'45''S, 15°02'38''E, 420 m, 14–26.ii.1997, I. Kapofi & M.E. Irwin, Malaise trap sample in riparian vegetation ; 1♀, Tsumkwe District, Aha Hills at: 19°47'36''S, 20°59'51''E, 21–25.xii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [D.J.] Mann, Malaise traps ; 7♂, Tsumkwe District, Nama, 19°54'34''S, 20°44'08''E, 20–22.xii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [D.J.] Mann, Malaise traps ; 1♂, Tsumkwe District, Nhoma River, 1 km E of, 19°10'00''S, 20°36'09''E, 28.xii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [D.J.] Mann, Malaise traps ; 1♂, 1♀, Tsumkwe District, Xawasha pan, 2 km W, 19°09'57''S, 20°52'55''E, 26–27.xii.1998, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [E.] Marais & [D.J.] Mann, hanging fruit trap ; 1♂, Waterberg Plateau Park, B de la Bat Restcamp, 20°30'S, 17°14'E, 09–13.iv.1993, S.V. Green, Malaise trap ; 1♂, Windhoek [District], Koreangab Dam, SE2217 Ca, 19.xii.1973 [State Museum staff], H16175 ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, B8 rest-stop at: 17°46'56''S, 24°16'31''E, 13–15.xii.1999, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN3, elephant dung ; 10♂, West Caprivi Park, Fort Doppies, 17°49'28''S, 23°18'49''E, 20–21.x.1999, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga, Malaise trap, dry woodland ; 5♂, 1♀, West Caprivi Park, Kwando River: Susuwe, 17°45'37''S, 23°20'55''E, 28.ix–02.x.1998, A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, Malaise trap, dry woodland ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, Susuwe: Kwando River, 17°45'54''S, 23°21'10''E, 20–21.x.1999, [A.H.] Kirk-Spriggs, [T.] Pape & [W.] Hauwanga ; 1♂, West Caprivi Park, Nova, 5 km N, 18°09'56''S, 21°44'31''E, 16–18.xii.1999, [E.] Marais, [D.J.] Mann & [D.] Newman, MMN8, Malaise trap (all NMWC) .

Remarks: The first appearance of this Oriental species in the Afrotropics was from specimens reared from millet in Nigeria in the late 1960s (Deeming 1971: 160). The first Namibian record was a single male collected by E. Lindner in Daan Viljoen Game Reserve near Windhoek in 1970 (Deeming 1975). Of recent years it has become a prolific species widespread in the Afrotropics and is known to attack Barley, wheat and various other Poaceae (Pont & Magpayo 1995: 86) . Ramachandra Rao (1924), examined material of this species reared from wheat in Pakistan and gave it the vernacular name “ Sind wheat-stem fly”. He was further the first researcher to recognise the trifoliate process and its value in taxonomy, presenting a photograph of the highly diagnostic trifoliate process of this species.

Distribution: (Afrotropical): Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, South Africa, Swaziland, United Arab Emirates and Yemen; (Australasian): Australia; (Oriental): India, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka; (Palaearctic): Saudi Arabia and Canary Is.

Host-plants: Arundinella metzii Hochst. ex Miq., Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Maize, Zea mays L., Pearl millet, Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone (as Alopecurus typhoides Burm. f.) and wheat, Triticum spp. (all Poaceae).