A new species in the genus Pseudorhyncomyia Peris, 1952 and the identity of P. deserticola Zumpt and Argo, 1978 (Diptera, Rhiniidae)
Author
Rognes, Knut
text
Zootaxa
2013
3736
3
249
264
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3736.3.3
a2ab8eeb-6513-435f-8d40-897f7b9b38ad
1175-5326
247328
3ADF5D1D-20EE-4F0B-AE33-B8C9554E8ED5
Zumba antennalis
(Villeneuve)
Figs. 29–43
.
Rhyncomyia antennalis
Villeneuve, 1929: 185
.
Lectotype
male (
Namibia
, Ohangwena Province, Mafa, SAMC), by designation of Zumpt (1958: 195) (photographs of specimen and labels seen).
Note. The species was originally described from three
syntypes
from “
Sud-Ouest africain
: Mafa [near Omafo, about
17°28'S
15°54'E
, in
Namibia
; see map in Lawrence (1928: 218)] et Namakunde [now = Namacunde in
Angola
],
février 1923
, un ♂ et deux ♀”. In SAMC are
1♂
and 1♀ labelled “Mafa /
Feb. 1923
” [printed on the upper side] and “S.W. Africa / Mus. Exped.” [printed on the reverse side]. The male, which is staged, also carries a label in Villeneuve’s hand reading “
Rhyncomyia
/
antennalis
/ Typ. Villen.” and a Zumpt identification label reading “
Zumba
♂ /
antennalis Vill.
/ det. Zumpt 56”. [See Lawrence (1927: 1) for a brief account of the expedition in 1923.] There is no
lectotype
label attached, but the male is obviously the specimen Zumpt (1958) designated as
lectotype
. Both specimens carry a museum number label reading “SAM-DIP-A
011283
”. Simon van Noort (SAMC) has now affixed a
lectotype
label on the male specimen.
Rhyncomyia antennalis
: Peris 1952: 78
.
Zumba antennalis
: Zumpt 1958: 193
; Pont 1980: 787; Kurahashi & Kirk-Spriggs 2006: 92.
Pseudorhyncomyia deserticola
Zumpt and Argo, 1978: 35
.
Holotype
male (
Namibia
, Namib Desert, Welwitschia “forest” nr Gobabeb, NMSA), by original designation. For details, see Material examined below.
Syn. nov.
FIGURES 31–36.
Zumba
antennalis
(Villeneuve)
male (31–34, 36 from holotype of
Pseudorhyncomyia deserticola
Zumpt and Argo
; 35 from male in ZMUC “... Gobabeb ... Kuiseb River Bed ... 27.I.1978 …”).
31.
Head, anterior view.
32.
Head, dorsal view.
33.
Head, left lateral view.
34.
Row of meral setae, right side.
35.
Left suprasquamal ridge.
36.
Labels.
Key features of
holotype
of
Pseudorhyncomyia deserticola
.
Head
. Ground colour yellow. Piliferous dots absent. 4–5 strong black frontal setae. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial densely and evenly white tomentose with long, thin, white and densely set setae. Facial membrane also white tomentose. Lower facial margin only slightly protruding, whitish yellow. Several black subvibrissal and parastomal setae (
Fig. 33
). Palpus almost white.
Thorax
. 2 strong black
prst acr
. 2 strong black
prst dc
and 4 strong black
post dc
. 4–5 strong black marginal anepimeral setae among the white main marginal setae. Anepimeron with a single strong black seta near the upper edge. Suprasquamal ridge bare (
Fig. 35
). Meral setae in a single row, mostly black, even though a few upper and lower setae in the meral row are white (
Fig. 34
).
Abdomen
. TST7+8 with a pair of strong black discal setae (
Fig. 41
).
Genitalia
. As in
Figs. 37–39
.
FIGURES 37–43.
Zumba antennalis
(Villeneuve)
male (37–41 from Zumpt and Argo’s slide “… term. 6” prepared from holotype of
Pseudorhyncomyia deserticola
Zumpt and Argo
; 42, 43 from male in ZMUC “… Gobabeb 30.I. 1978 Kuiseb River bed …”).
37.
Cerci, surstyli and epandrium.
38.
Aedeagus, pre- and postgonites, phallapodeme, and one basal apodeme of the postgonite (small sclerite to the left, at middle).
39.
Ejaculatory sclerite.
40.
Labels.
41.
TST 7+8.
42.
Labels.
43.
Tip of abdomen, showing ST5, epandrium and TST7+8 with pair of strong black setae.
Material examined.
Type
material.
Holotype
of
Pseudorhyncomyia deserticola
. Adult male labelled (1) S.W.Africa: Namib / Desert, Welwitschia / “Forest” nr Gobabeb /
3-X-1967
E. S. Ross / A. R. Stephen; (2) slide no. 6 [Zumpt’s handwriting]; (3)
Pseudorhyncomyia
♂ /
deserticola
n. sp.
/ Zumpt & Argo 1976 [Zumpt’s handwriting]; (4)
HOLOTYPUS
[red label, black print]; (5) NMSA-DIP / 19837 (
Fig. 36
). The genitalia (
Figs. 37– 39
) had already been removed from the abdominal tip of the
holotype
when I received it. Slide no. 6 carries the genitalia beneath a circular coverglass; it is labelled: (top of slide, label with thick red frame) Pseudorhyn- / comyia /
deserticola
/ Zumpt & Argo [handwritten by Zumpt] /
Holotype
[red print]; (bottom of slide) Host. [black print, streaked out] (♂ term. 6) / S. W. Africa / Gobabeb / Locality. [black print]
3.X.1967
/ leg. Ross & Stephen [Zumpt’s handwriting] (
Fig. 40
). Part of the abdomen has a darkening on the left side (
Fig. 29
) apparently caused by application of a fluid used for softening the abdominal tip before removing the genitalia directly from the pinned specimen.
Comparative material of
Zumba antennalis
(Villeneuve)
. ZMUC
(
7 males
,
10 females
):
6 males
,
7 females
labelled (1) South West Africa / Gobabeb [various dates] Kuiseb River Bed / O. Lomholdt leg. [dates are:
25.
,
26.
,
27.
,
29.
,
30.I.1978
, 3.,
7. II.1978
]. •
1 male
1 female
labelled (1) South West Africa / Gobabeb
10.II.1978
Kuiseb River flowing / O. Lomholdt leg. •
2 females
labelled (1) South West Africa / Homeb / ESE Gobabeb /
29.I.1978
/ Welwitschia valley / O. Lomholdt leg. [all labels printed].
Identity.
A comparison of the key features of the
holotype
of
P. deserticola
with the diagnosis of the genus
Pseudorhyncomyia
, given above, makes it evident that the specimen does not belong to that genus. On the other hand it fits the genus
Zumba
Peris, 1951
on all accounts and keys to that genus in Zumpt (1958). It clearly belongs to the species
Z. antennalis
(Villeneuve)
as described by Villeneuve (1929: 185, as
Rhyncomyia antennalis
), Peris (1952: 78, as
Rhyncomyia antennalis
) and Zumpt (1958: 193) and is conspecific with the numerous other
Z. antennalis
material from the
type
locality in
Namibia
(in ZMUC). The TST7+8 agrees with other
Z. antennalis
males in having a pair of strong black discal setae (
Fig. 43
), a property of
Z. antennalis
unmentioned by earlier authors. The male genitalia do not differ in any significant respects either from those figured by Zumpt (1958: 194 fig. 64) for
Z. antennalis
. According to Kurahashi and Kirk-Spriggs (2006: 93) the species is “exceedingly common in
Namibia
... occurring in all Namibian biomes, but principally in the desert and karoo biomes ... [r]ecorded in all months of the year.” On this background the nominal species
P. deserticola
Zumpt and Argo
is sunk as a junior synonym of
Z. antennalis
(Villeneuve)
,
syn. nov.
Zumba antennalis
is known from
Angola
,
Namibia
and
South Africa
.