Genus Trichocera in Morocco: first records from Africa and a new species (Diptera: Trichoceridae)
Author
Driauach, Ouafaa
Author
Krzemińska, Ewa
Author
Belqat, Boutaïna
text
Zootaxa
2015
4059
1
181
190
journal article
39228
10.11646/zootaxa.4059.1.10
5d527dc2-b981-4d4f-8dc5-9ead824602db
1175-5326
245490
C785A607-FCCE-43E0-9F75-53E49ACFCB07
Trichocera
(
Saltrichocera
)
sardiniensis
Petrašiūnas, 2009
Fig. 3
.
Trichocera
(
Saltrichocera
)
sardiniensis
Petrašiūnas, 2009
: 62
.
Material examined
.
Morocco
: Oued à
15 km
de Fifi, 26.
II.2012,
1
♂; Affluent Oued Akrir, 23.
XI.2012, 1
♀,
2♂
; Oued Amsemlil Site 2, 16.
XII.2013,
1
♂; Maison forestière, 06.II–17.
III.2015,
1
♂ (malaise trap).
Remarks.
The specimens from
Morocco
(
Fig. 3
) do not differ from those of the
terra typica
in the details of male and female genitalia, tarsal claws in male, and the antennae with swollen first flagellomeres in the males and, to a greater extent, in the females.
FIGURE 3.
Trichocera
(
Saltrichocera
)
sardiniensis
Petrašiūnas
from Morocco. A, male genitalia in ventral view; B, aedeagal complex in lateral view; C, female genitalia in ventral view; D, genital plate; E–F, basal antenna of male (E) and female (F).
This is only the second record of this newly described species, known till now only from Sardinia, where it also occurs in the mountains above
1000 m
(compare
Table 1
).
Petrašiūnas (2009)
rightly noticed a great resemblance of this species to
Trichocera
(
Saltrichocera
)
borealis
Lackschewitz, 1931
. The only differences are smaller tarsal claws in males of
T
. (
S
.)
sardiniensis
. This species also has longer antennae which may develop so in warmer climate (compare discussion in
Krzemińska
et al.
2009
: 142–3). Undoubtedly both species are mutual closest relatives, although
T
. (
S
.)
borealis
is known from the northernmost regions of Europe Palearctic (ex.
Dahl & Krzemińska 2008
), while
T
. (
S
.)
sardiniensis
occurs in the southernmost region of the genus distribution. This wide geographical disjunction of both species suggests postglacial history of their speciation initiated by separation of populations in the glacial period, when fauna from northern Europe was pushed south to refugia in the Mediterranean area. Subsequent division of populations in isolated refugia, and various histories of their recolonization northwards resulted in allopatric speciation and distribution. Such patterns were discovered among various taxa of fauna and flora; for a synthetical review see
Hewitt (1999)
.