Physocephala digitata, (Speiser, 1909)

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 : 249-252

P. digitata (Speiser, 1909)

( Figs 84–90 )

Conops (Physocephala) digitatus Speiser 1909

= Physocephala simplex Kröber, 1915 (syn. nov.) = Physocephala ugandae Kröber, 1915 (syn. nov.) = Physocephala nigricoxa Brunetti, 1925

= Physocephala bequaertorum Camras, 1962 (syn. nov.) = Physocephala lineifrons Camras, 1962 (syn. nov.)

= Physocephala ethiopica Camras, 1962 (syn. nov.)

Primary type material examined. ♂ holotype of Pseudophysocephala ugandae Kröber 1939 : (1) “? Psilocephala [sic] / ugandae, Krb. / examined & det. / O. Kröber, 1938.”; (2) “ Psilocephala [sic] / ugandae / Krb”; (3) “ Uganda, / Kampala, / 6.IX.1918. / C C. Gowdey. ”; (4) “ Kampala, / Uganda / 6.IX.1918 / No. 6545”; (5) “Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1921-153”; (6) “Type”; coll. NHML .

♂ holotype of Physocephala nigricoxa Brunetti, 1925 : (1) “ Syn- type”; (2) “ Kampala, / Uganda / 4.IX.1918 / C. C. / No. 5392 Gowdey”; (3) “Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1924-306.”; (4) “ Physo. / nigrocoxae [sic] / Brun Type ♂ / Det. E. Brunetti 1924”; coll. NHML. There is a second damaged specimen lacking both head and abdomen that is designated as “ Syntype ”. This can- not be identified but in any event, in the original descrip- tion the specimen listed above as the holotype is explicit- ly identified as the “Type” .

♀ holotype of Physocephala ethiopica Camras, 1962 , pinned together with ♂ paratype: (1) “ Holo- / type”; (2) “ Allo- / type”; (3) “ Ethiopia: / Dilla , / (Sidamo). / iv.1948.”; (5) “ Holotype ♀ / Physocephala / ethiopica / Camras”; (6) “ Allotype ♂ ”; (7) “ K. M. Guichard / B. M. 1948-200.”; (8) “[characters illegible]”; (9) “BMNH(E)# / 249079 / BMNH(E)# / 249080”; coll. NHML .

Additional material. BURUNDI: 1♀, V.1956, Mugera, leg. F. J. François, coll. ISNB; CAMEROON: 1♀, 30.vii.1920, Lolodorf, det. as P. simplex by Camras 1962, leg. A. I. Good, coll. FMNH; 1♂, 8.–10.viii.2013, Far- North Reg., Mayo-Tsanga, Mogode-Cha [10°34.111′N 13°36.422′E], 1001 m, Malaise trap, degrated savanna forest, leg. A. H. Kirk-Spriggs, coll. BMSA; DEMO- CRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 2♂♂, 15.ix.1933, Bambesa, det. as P. ugandae by Kröber 1935, leg. J. V. Leroy, coll. MRAC; 1♀, 16.iii.1948, Basoko, Yamabuki, Div. 153, det. as P. simplex by Camras 1962, leg. P. L. G. Benoit, coll. MRAC; 1♂, 27.iv.1914, Beni [0°30′N 29°30′E], det. as P. bequaertorum by Camras 2000, leg. J. Bequaert, coll. FMNH; 1♀, 23.i.1927, Elisabethville [Lubumbashi] [-11.664232 27.482626], det. as P. ugandae by Kröber 1935, leg. M. Bequaert, coll. MRAC; 1♂, 4.iii.1936, Kamogobe, Sud Masisi, det. as P. nigricoxa by Camras 1962, leg. L. Lippens, coll. MRAC; 1♂, 18.vii.1935, Kivu, Nyongera, près Rutshuru, 1218 m, leg. G. F. de Witte, coll. ISNB; 1♂, 10.vii.1935, Kivu, Ritshu- ru, riv. Musugereza, 1100 m, leg. G. F. de Witte, coll. ISNB; 1♂, 10.vii.1935, Kivu, Ritshuru, riv. Musugere- za, 1100 m, det. as P. nigrocoxalis by Vanschuytbroeck 1950, leg. G. F. de Witte, coll. MRAC; 1♀, 15.x.1957, Massif Ruwenzori, Bomboka près., Kyandolire, 1650 m, leg. P. Vanschuytbroeck & J. Kekenbosch, coll. MRAC; 1♀, 18.xii.1957, Massif Ruwenzori, riv. Lume, moy- enne, 1800 m, leg. P. Vanschuytbroeck, coll. MRAC; 1♀, xi.1937, Rutshuru, det. as P. digitata by Camras 2000, leg. J. Ghesquière, coll. FMNH; 1♀, no date, Ville Malela, Chief Casende [5,40S 23,45E], det. as P. simplex by Camras, leg. J. Bequaert, coll. FMNH; RWANDA: 1♂, 6.ii.1935, Ruhengeri, riv. Mugara-Kigombe, 1800– 1825 m, det. as P. nigrocoxalis by Vanschuytbroeck 1950, leg. G. F. de Witte, coll. MRAC; TOGO: 1♂, viii.2015, Kloto, forest area [6°57’31.66’’N 0°34’29.75’’E], leg. G. Goergen, coll. IITA; 1♀, ii.2002, ditto; 1♀, iii.2017, ditto; 1♂, viii.2008, ditto; 1♂, vi.2016, ditto; UGAN- DA: 1♂, 22.iv.1966, 20 miles e Mubende, det. as P. nigricoxa by Camras 2000; det. as P. digitata by Camras 2001, at Chickweed flowers, leg. D. J. Greathead, coll. NHML [NHMUK010922194]; 1♂, 14.v.1958, Bugisu Bugusege, det. as P. nigricoxa by Camras 2000; det. as P. digitata by Camras 2001, at Chickweed flowers, leg. J. Bowden, coll. NHML [NHMUK010922195]; 1♂, 1.–5.xii.1911, Bugoma Forest, Unyoro, 3700 ft, det. as P. nigricoxa by Camras 2000; det. as P. digitata by Cam- ras 2001, at Chickweed flowers, leg. S. A. Neave, coll. NHML [NHMUK010922192]; 1♂, 21.iv.1927, Dwoli, det. as P. nigricoxa by Camras 2000; det. as P. digitata by Camras 2001, leg. H. Hargreaves, coll. NHML [NHMUK010922193]; 1♂, 15.–17.iii.1912, Uganda West, Kibale Region, surrounding Bigodi [N0029209 E3020022], 1400 m, leg. Oehlke, coll. PASS; 1♂, 15.– 17.iii.2012, ditto; UGANDA / KENYA: 1♂, v., Elgon, 1700 m, leg. Lindblom, coll. NHRS; ZAMBIA: 7♂♂ 1♀, 12.–15.i.2003, 45 km se Kitwe, leg. J. Halada, coll. CULSP.

Physocephala digitata is a species which shows great variation in colouration of the face (with or without dark marking); frons (more or less uniformly yellow to light brown, the latter especially in old specimens, and with distinct black midline or almost completely black); coxae (completely light brown to almost black); scutum (completely black to orange-brown with black centre only); and wing (e.g. cell r 2+3 completely brown or hy- aline apically, subcosta light orange to dark brown). In all of these variations we find different intermediates and no one of these characters, or combination of characters, can be used to consistently segregate species. Camras (2001) did not mention any character in his key for the simplex species-group which is not variable in P. digitata . Out of the eleven species he included in his simplex species-group key, only three species can be recognised consistently (see Key 6, couplets 8–9) and these three are still difficult to identify convincingly.

The original description of P. simplex falls within the variation of P. digitata as do the specimens reported by Camras (2001) as P. simplex . The holotype of P. simplex is stored in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giaco- mo Doria” (Stuke 2017) and was not available for exam- ination. Physocephala simplex Kröber, 1915 is, however, placed as a junior synonym of Physocephala [ Conops ] digitata (Speiser, 1909) (syn. nov.).

Most specimens of P. ugandae are easily recognised by the wing pattern ( Fig. 89 ) with cell r 2+3 hyaline apical- ly, and the frons yellow with a distinct black T-marking ( Fig. 84 ). There are, however, less commonly encoun- tered forms typified by a completely dark cell r 2+3 and/or either a completely dark or completely pale frons, togeth- er with intermediates. Since this variation does not allow P. ugandae to be distinguished from P. digitata with any consistency, Physocephala ugandae Kröber, 1915 is herewith placed as a junior synonym of Physocephala [ Conops ] digitata (Speiser, 1909) (syn. nov.).

The original description and all of the key characters used by Camras (1962b) to identify P. bequaertorum fall within the variation of P. digitata . One available headless specimen in FMNH identified by Camras as P. bequaertorum also fits to P. digitata . Physocephala bequaertorum Camras, 1962 is therefore placed as a junior syn- onym of Physocephala [ Conops ] digitata (Speiser, 1909) (syn. nov.).

The type material of P. ethiopica falls within the varia- tion of P. digitata . Physocephala ethiopica Camras, 1962 is therefore placed as a junior synonym of Physocephala [ Conops ] digitata (Speiser, 1909) (syn. nov.).

The original description of P. lineifrons compares it with P. bequaertorum , stating that the two differ only in the colouration of the gena and frons. The holotype is deposited in the Natal Museum (KwaZulu-Natal, Pi- etermaritzburg) and was not available for examination, but the original description of P. lineifrons falls within the variation of P. digitata and therefore Physocephala lineifrons Camras, 1962 is also placed as a junior syn- onym of Physocephala [ Conops ] digitata (Speiser, 1909) (syn. nov.).

Figures

Figs 84–90. Physocephala digitata (Speiser, 1909). 84. Frons, light form, dorsal view (♀, Mugera); 85. Frons, dark form, dorsal view (♀, Kloto); 86. Epandrium, dorsal view (♂, sw Kitwe); 87. Vertex, dorsal view (♀, Mugera); 88. Theca, lateral view (♀, Mugera); 89. Wing, light form, dorsal view (♀, Mugera); 90. Wing, dark form, dorsal view (♀, Kloto).