Physocephala abyssinica, Krober, 1915

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 : 247

P. abyssinica Kröber, 1915

( Figs 71–74 )

Physocephala abyssinica Kröber 1915

= Physocephala fumivena Camras 2001 (syn. nov.) = Physocephala longitheca Camras 2001 (syn. nov.) = Physocephala atronata Camras, 2001 (syn. nov.)

Primary type material examined. ♀ holotype of Physocephala longitheca Camras, 2001 : (1) “ Angola (A37) / 5 mls. NE. Negola / 25.iii.1972 ”; (2) “Southern / African Exp. / B. M. 1972 –1”; (3) “ Holotype ♀ / Physocephala / longitheca / Camras”; coll. NHML .

♂ holotype of Physocephala atronata Camras, 2001 : (1) “W. Uganda / Kibale Forest / 12.xii.1971 – 9.i.1972 / R. L. Mason ”; (2) “ Holotype ♂ / Pseudophysocephala / atronata / Camras”; coll. NHML .

Additional material. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 2♀♀, 1.–20.i.1919, Albertville [= Kalemi], 780 m, det. as P. “ ? abyssinica ” by Brunetti 1925, leg. R. Mayné, coll. MRAC; 1♂, x.1932, Lulua, Kapan- ga, det. as P. “ ? abyssinica Krb ” by Kröber 1935, leg. F. G. Overlaet, coll. MRAC; MALAWI: 1♂, 4.x.1919, Nyasaland, Cholo. [= Thyolo District], det. as P. “ ? abyssinica ” by Brunetti 1924, leg. R. C. Wood, coll. NHML [ NHMUK010922100 ]; UGANDA: 1♀, 21.i.1913, West Mengo District, Entebbe, det. as P. “ ? abyssinica ” by Brunetti 1924, leg. C. C. Gowdey, coll. NHML [ NHMUK010922101 ] ; ZIMBABWE: 1♂, 2.i.1966, n Vumba [= Bvumba] [-19.093432 32.740631], paratype of P. fumivena , leg. D. Cookson, coll. FMNH .

Physocephala abyssinica is easily recognised in the fe- male by the very long theca ( Fig. 73 ) but is difficult to identify in the male. Camras (2001) failed to recognize that females of his newly described P. longitheca were in fact conspecific with males previously identified as P. abyssinica . Instead he described the males again as P. fumivena – a species in which only males are known. The only character given by Camras (2001) to distinguish P. fumivena and P. longitheca is the wing colouration, with a dark infuscated discal-medial-cubital crossvein being present in P. fumivena . It is clear that this character is very variable, however, in which case there is no other published character left to distinguish these two species either from each other or from P. abysinica , and we cannot find any such characters in the material we have to hand, which includes the holotype of P. longitheca and a paratype of P. fumivena . Therefore, Physocephala longitheca Camras 2001 and Physocephala fumivena Camras, 2001 are both placed as junior synonyms of Physocephala abyssinica Kröber, 1915 (syns. nov.).

In addition, Camras (2001) also characterised P. atronata with the character “Haltere with black on club”. In fact there is only slight darkening on the haltere of the holotype, which is quite different from the velvety black haltere of species in the P. halterata species-group. The holotype of P. atronata otherwise fits very well with specimens of P. abyssinica and therefore Physocephala atronata Camras, 2001 is also herewith placed as a ju- nior synonym to Physocephala abyssinica Kröber, 1915 (syn. nov.).

Figures

Figs 71–74. Physocephala abyssinica Kröber, 1915. 71. ♀ habitus, lateral view (♂, n Vumba); 72. ♀ head, lateral view (♂, n Vum- ba); 73. ♀ theca, lateral view (♀, Albertville); 74. Wing, dorsal view (♂, n Vumba).