Physocephala guillarmodi, Stuke & Clements, 2019

Stuke, Jens-Hermann & Clements, David K., 2019, New conopid records from the Afrotropical Region (Diptera) - Part 3: Physocephalini, Bonn zoological Bulletin 68 (2), pp. 209-273 : 223-228

P. guillarmodi spec. nov.

( Figs 13–24 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8F911A66-CF42-4A60-837F-708FA78B1E9C

Holotype ♀. (1) “ Mamathes / Basutoland / 28-XII-1959 / C. Jacot / Guillarmod”; (2) “? Physocephala brevistylata / Kröber ♀ ”; (3) Holotypus / Physocephala guillarmodi / spec. nov. ♀ / 2018” . Holotype is deposited in AMGS. The specimen is pinned and in perfect condition .

Paratypes. BURUNDI: 1♀, 18.xi.1949, Bururi Prov- ince, Bururi, 1950 m, Orée dela forȇt, leg. F. François, coll. ISNB ; LESOTHO: 1♂, 26.xii.1946, Bokong , leg. A. Jacot Guillarmod, coll. AMGS ; 1♀, 28.xii.1947, Leribe, Hensley′s Dam, leg. A. Jacot-Guillarmod, coll. AMGS ; 1♀, 16.xii.1950, Mamathes , leg. C. Jacot-Guil- larmod, coll. AMGS ; 1♂, 28.xii.1959, ditto ; SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂, 3.–7.x.1988, Cape Province, Clanwilliam Dam [32°11′30″S 18°53′42″E], on flowers of Aspalathus desertorum Bol. , leg. F. W. Gees, S. K. Gees, coll. AMGS ; 1♂, 5.xii.1980, Cape Province, Grahamstown, Hilton , Senecio , leg. D. W. Gees, coll. AMGS ; 1♀, 8.– 13.x.1987, Cape Province, Klein Alexandershoek, Clan- william District [32°20′20″S 18°46′E], leg. F. W. Gees, S. K. Gees, coll. AMGS ; 1♂ 1♀, 28.ix.1985, ditto ; 1♂, 4.–8.x.1994, Cape Province, Koornplanskloof 10 km s Citrusdaal [32°40′S 19°01′E], 200–270 m, leg. R. Dan- ielsson, coll. MZLU .

Description of holotype (female)

Length 9.6 mm; Wing-length 7.6 mm; Head-height 2.9 mm.

Head. Antenna orange-brown ( Fig. 13 ). Arista very short stylus-like, with 2 aristomeres situated at tip of first flagellomere ( Fig. 16 ). Both aristomeres minute, length of apical aristomere shorter than height. Scape about twice as long as maximum width, apically and lateral- ly with black setae. Pedicel about five times longer than maximum width, covered with black setae. Pedicel lack- ing any ridge at base, and expanded towards apex. First flagellomere long and conical, about two times as long as high, pointed, and ventrally with an indistinct membra- nous area. Lunule between base of antennae and ptilinal suture distinctly developed, shorter than width of scape. Eyes brown, lacking ommatrichia, facets all of about the same size. Posterior margin of eye lacking any shining indentation. Gena height / eye height (measurements tak- en from head in lateral view) = 0.3. No ocellar tubercle, no ocelli and no ocellar triangle evident. Frons ( Fig. 15 ) yellow, somewhat broader than long, concave, slightly projecting above eyes posteriorly and lacking any setu- lae. Anterior margin of frons concave. No frontofacial spot. Frons with indistinct dusting all over, subshining laterally. Vertex as broad as frons, separated from latter by a more or less distinct ridge. Vertex shining, and in posterior half covered with black setulae. Vertex apical- ly with an indistinct depression. Ridge of vertex lacking longitudinal grooves. Face yellow, with brown facial keel. Face lacks dusting except for some very narrow silver dusting along eye margin. Gena yellow, lacking setae. Distinct facial grooves reaching mouth edge. Dis- tinct facial carina reaching from base of antennae to a distinctly broadened and outstanding frontoclypeal tu- bercle. Ptilinal suture extending well beneath antennal bases on either side. Oral cavity tapers dorsally. Postcra- nium not obviously invaginated, yellow to light brown. Whole postcranium lightly dusted, with dusting adjacent to posterior eye margin obviously denser. Occiput and postgena covered with long black setulae. Postgena not widened and not delimited from occiput. Bottom por- tion of postcranium clearly delimited and less setulose. Proboscis reddish-brown, labellum black. Frontoclypeal membrane long, light orange-brown and barely delim- ited from orange-brown clypeus. Palps absent. Labium distinctly longer than head-length, distinctly thickened basally, anterior section completely fused and tubular. Labrum not visible in type specimen. Labellum short, completely divided, hardly broader than adjacent haust- ellum, and covered with very short setulae only.

Thorax mainly orange-brown, with mediotergite, katepisternum and meron mainly black. Scutum with large medial black spot and small lateral black spots ( Fig. 17 ). Thorax grey dusted all over. Pleura as in Fig. 18 . Distinct dusting stripe on pleura reaching from middle coxa to notopleuron. The dusting stripe depends on the viewing angle and is best seen in dorsal view – care is required as it may be hard to see with the wrong view- ing angle ( Fig. 18 ). Anterior half of anepimeron shining to subshining. Presternum distinct, narrow. Basisternum broad, ventrally narrowed to a point, and with scattered setulae. Proepisternum lacks setae or setulae. Notopleuron with a few slightly stronger setae. Postalar callus with a few strong short setae flanked laterally by several curved setulae. Katepisternum with 13–15 setae postero- dorsally and no setae ventrally. Metakatepisternum lacks setae. Anepimeron with 8–10 small setulae. Mediotergite convex, with minute and hardly visible black setae. Sub- scutellum inconspicuous. Scutum covered with scattered small black setulae and with no outstanding setae. Wing as Fig. 21 : Fore-margin tinged brown, with brown mem- brane between subcosta and media M. Cell r 4+5 hyaline apically and discal-medial cell dm brown basally. Veins brown, subcosta paler brown than radial veins. Wing mostly covered with microtrichia, but anal lobe partly lacking microtrichia. Radial-medial crossvein rm small but complete ( Fig. 20 ). Basal-medial-cubital crossvein incomplete. Radius R 1 and R 2+3 terminate close together in costa, well beyond end of subcosta. Radius R 4+5 with shallow, even curve in distal section which is directed to- wards fore-edge of wing. Cell r 4+5 pedunculate, with vein R 4+5 +M 1 distinctly longer than radial-medial crossvein. Basal cell lacks any thickening. Cubital cell cup elongat- ed, distinctly longer than vein A1+CuA 2, and pointed dis- tally (i.e. cubitus CuA 2 and anal vein A 1 meet at an acute angle). Vein A 1 +CuA 2 not reaching hind margin of wing. Cubital veins CuA 1 and basal-medial-cubital crossvein distinctly separated. Upper and lower calypters yellow- ish-white to brown, margin of upper calypter with short white setulae. Alula slightly shorter than broad, lacking setulae on posterior margin. Venae spuriae pronounced in cell r 4+5, cubital cell cup and indistinctly in cubital cell cua 1. Haltere light yellowish-white with brown base and reddish knob. Knob of haltere with brown setulae. Legs orange with fore coxa mainly black. Legs with in- conspicuous silver dusting to shining, hind coxa densely silver-dusted. Posterior surfaces of fore and middle tib- iae with obvious silver-dusted fields distally. Legs with short, adpressed black setulae. Base of fore and middle femora lacking denser black setulae. Areas of dense black to brown setulae anteroventrally at tip of fore tibia, and ventrally and posteriorly at tip of hind tibia. Middle femur lacking a distinct row of regularly arranged setu- lae. Hind femur lacks outstanding setulae. No preapical setae dorsally and no setae ventrally on tibiae. Femora ventrally lacking rows of short black setae. Coxae with several setulae but lacking outstanding setae. Hind femur slightly thickened in basal half. All tibiae thickened in apical half. Each metatarsus with 2 stronger setae ven- trally at base. Pulvilli yellowish-white. Claws brown, with narrow black tips. Empodium light brown, about as long as pulvilli.

Abdomen orange to dark brown, with diffuse dark markings dorsally on tergites 1–4. Abdomen with short black setulae all over, those on tergite 2 very small. ♀ abdomen completely silver-dusted, although the impression of dusting depends on viewing angle. Denser dusted hind margins of tergites are not obvious. Tergites 1–3 fused but remain distinct from each other. Maximum width of abdomen at segment 4. Length: maximum width of terg- ite 2 = 2.0; length: maximum width of tergite 3 = 1.9. Tergite 5 and sternite 5 not completely fused laterally. Shape of theca as shown in Fig. 19 . Anterior surface of theca apically with a few long setulae. Posterior surface of theca almost completely covered with close-set long blunt spicules, arranged in about 12 horizontal lines. Tergite 7 bends distinctly ventrally, with an indistinct longitudinal gap, and with a minute protruding tooth at middle of posterior margin.

Female characters added from one dissected paratype Sternites 1–2 fused. Sternites 3–4 not protruding ven- trally, posterior parts of sternites inconspicuous. Tergites 3 and 4 lack evaginations. Sternite 5 anteriorly lacking any elongation. Sternite 6 almost completely covered

with long blunt spicules which are mainly arranged in close-set, broken horizontal lines. Sternite 7 longer than broad, anteriorly pointed, posterior margin with two patches of dense long black setae. Ventral sclerotisation fused with tergite 8 and therefore connecting at sides. Tooth on tergite 8 distinct, its base elongated anteriorly. Sternite 8 bulging posteriorly, covered with strong long black setae and with obvious long setulae on posterior margin. Paired cerci distinct. Sack-like ventral protrusion of vagina with distinct annular sclerotisation. Opposite the annular sclerotisation the ventral protrusion is hardly sclerotised and is covered with short, broad microtrichia giving the ventral protrusion a roughened surface. No ob- vious sclerotisation at base of either the accessory glands or the spermathecal ducts. Sack-like ventral protrusion of vagina lacks any additional sclerotisation. 2 pairs of spherical spermathecae, the spermathecal ducts fusing shortly after leaving the spermathecae. Spermathecal ducts are sclerotised at the spermathecae, this sclerotised part of the duct being sinuous.

Description of male

♂ abdomen strongly dusted from posterior half of tergite 3 to tip (in anterior view) and almost shining laterally on tergites 1–3. No obvious dusting at hind margin of terg- ites. Tergite 1 with obvious black setulae laterally on bul- bous lateral projections. Tergite 2 distinctly elongated, about 5 times as long as width at posterior margin. Terg- ite 2 lacking lateral tufts of setulae. Tergite 3 obviously longer than broad and widened posteriorly, anteriorly about 2.8 times as wide as posteriorly. Sternites 1, 4 and 5 present, sternites 2 and 3 reduced. Tergite 5 and sternite 5 separate. Sternite 4 almost square, minute and not clear- ly delimited from membrane, with about 4 minute setu- lae. Sternite 5 apically with small field of thick setae and several long black setulae laterally. Protandrium broader than epandrium and therefore projecting over it. Sternite 8 delimited from protandrium. Line of minute black setu- lae at border of protandrium and sternite 8. Lateral edges of protandrium fused ventrally by a narrow sclerotised strip, which is not medially broadened. Paired cerci dis- tinct, completely sclerotised and covered with scattered black setulae. Epandrium as shown in Fig. 22 , not fused behind cerci but with a slightly sclerotised connection on both sides of the epandrium. Within this connection there is an elongated sclerotisation. Posterior margin of epandrium with small black setulae, and an obvious short black tooth with a broad blackish base. Epandrium distinctly concave laterally. No hypoproct evident and no remains of surstyli recognised. No obvious strong black setae nor long black setulae which would mark the base of a surstylus. Subepandrial plate not sclerotised nor cov- ered with microtrichia, and therefore not distinct. Dorsal hypandrial bridge developed. No hypandrial lobe evi- dent. Hypandrial bars fused distally, hypandrium ending in a hypandrial arm. Hypandrial membrane almost ab- sent, lacking microtrichia. Phallus sheath fused dorsally, lacking any evagination or setulae. Postgonite distinct. Postgonite evagination not sclerotised, and not projecting above distiphallus. Lateral side of postgonite evagination with indistinct microtrichia, the medially directed surface with broad and overlapping microtrichia ( Fig. 23 ). No plate at postgonite evagination. Ring sclerite between phallapodeme and distiphallus indistinct. No epiphallus recognised. Distiphallus shorter than epandrium, entirely covered with microtrichia, some of which are black and arranged in lines. Distiphallus dorsally with large light- ly sclerotized plate ( Fig. 23 ) but lacking evaginations. Phallapodeme longer than hypandrium arm. Ejaculatory apodeme elongated, lacking distinct attachment to sperm sac.

Variability

Wing length 6.3–7.6 mm. Basal aristomere sometimes black apically. Face, gena, frons and postcranium some- times more or less black in melanistic specimens. Facial keel sometimes yellow. Extent of black marking on tho- rax varies somewhat, and scutum sometimes completely orange. Proepisternum may lack setulae. Wing some- times more extensively brown, with discal-medial cell dm almost completely brown and cubital cell cua1 brown at base. Alula and cubital cell cup may partly lack mi- crotrichia. All coxae sometimes obviously blackish. Hind femur may have an obscure blackish or brown ring.

Diagnosis

Physocephala guillarmodi belongs to the antiqua species-group as defined in Key 1. It is easily overlooked amongst the more common and variable P. antiqua , but can be differentiated from the latter by the brown bas- al cell which is completely covered with microtrichia ( Fig. 20 ). With this character P. guillarmodi can only be confused within the antiqua species-group with dark-winged specimens of P. antiqua which may atypically have the basal cell almost (but never completely) cov- ered with microtrichia, or with P. pusilla . Physocephala guillarmodi can be separated from both of these species by its light yellow to yellowish-brown subosta which is obviously different from the darker radial veins ( Fig. 21 ) and by the characteristic light brown thorax with three black spots (which may be fused) on the scutum ( Fig. 17 ). At a first glance this species resembles P. schmideggeri Stuke, 2017 which occurs in the Arabian Peninsula ( Stuke, 2017b) but P. guillarmodi is distinguished by the complete dusting band which starts immediately above the middle coxa and reaches up to the notopleuron with- out becoming narrower. In the event that P. brevipennis is eventually demonstrated to be an aberrant and misshaped antiqua specimen (see above) this will also be distinguished from P. guillarmodi by its dark brown subcosta which does not differ in colour from the radial veins.

Etymology

This species is named in honour of Charles Fréderic Jacot Guillarmod (1912–1979), who collected several speci- mens of this new species and whose collecting activities made a huge contribution to knowledge of the Diptera of South Africa.

Distribution

Physocephala guillarmodi is widely distributed in the Afrotropical Region ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

Figs 13–16. Physocephala guillarmodi spec. nov. (holotype). 13. Antenna, lateral view; 14. Habitus, lateral view; 15. Frons, dorsal view; 16. Arista, lateral view

Figs 17–21. Physocephala guillarmodi spec. nov. (holotype). 17. Scutum, dorsolateral view; 18. Pleura, lateral view; 19. Theca, lateral view; 20. Radial-medial crossvein, dorsal view; 21. Wing, dorsal view.

Figs 22–23. Postabdomen Physocephala guillarmodi spec. nov. (♂, Hilton, Grahamstown). 22. Epandrium, dorsal view; 23. Postgonite evagination, ventral view. ep = epandrium; dp = distiphallus; poe = postgonite evagination, tep = tooth on posterior margin of epandrium; ce = cercus.

Fig. 24. Distribution of P. guillarmodi spec. nov.