Diario del proyecto Insects - Southern Africa (identified for the 1st time on iNat or difficult to identify)

Archivos de diario de agosto 2024

01 de agosto de 2024

Calliphora croceipalpis Jaennicke 1867

A typical Calliphora species with dark yellow anterior spiracle and brownish black (not orange-yellow) basicosta. Anterior part of genal dilation uniformly black, hairs on genal dilation and postgena predominantly black.
Frequently confused with the alien C. vicina, but told by colouration of basicosta and genae.

Distribution: DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Widespread from East to South Africa.

The common name "Highveld Blowfly'' is misleading, it is not restricted to the South African highveld, many records from coastal Cape and elsewhere. Prins 1982 provides the common name "cadaver fly" which may be a better fit.

Original description in:
Jaennicke , J. F. 1867. Neue exotische Dipteren. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 6
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/84507#page/394/mode/1up

Key and photos in:
Lutz, L., Williams, K.A., Villet, M.H. et al. Species identification of adult African blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance. Int J Legal Med 132, 831–842 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1654-y

Good illustrations and redescription in Prins 1982:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40763851#page/241/mode/1up
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40763851#page/242/mode/1up

Calliphora-croceipalpis-Prins

For a detailed description of the adult see Zumpt (1956, 1965). Head and thorax blackish blue to
steel blue, almost dull; abdomen more greenish blue and almost shiny and with whitish pollinosity forming large patterns; dark iridescent transverse band present on posterior border of each abdominal segment. Tuft of strong setae present on each side of first visible abdominal segment, just before its posterior border. Four short distinct vittae present on anterior half of presutural area of mesonotum, indistinct over rest of mesonotum. Reddish colour of basal parts of third antennal segments and orange colour of palpi very characteristic. In the males, frontal stripe narrowed by eyes and there are only two vertical bristles, outer verticals (present in female) being absent. Normal length 9-12 mm.
Widely distributed throughout the Subsaharan region, except probably the western parts of Africa. It is common in South Africa and also occurs on some of the islands along the west coast such as Dassen Island.

Biological note: quoted from Prins 1982:
According to observations made during surveys along the coastal areas from Mossel Bay to Port Nolloth, C. regalis infests mainly large animals such as eland and gnu, whereas C. croceipalpis was seen to infest bird carcasses and some of the smaller mammals such as rats and dassies; occasionally, however, its larvae were recovered from larger animals such as gnu, but very few adults were reared in these cases due to competition by C. albiceps (Wiedemann), C. chloropyga (Wiedemann), and C. megacephala. Both these species infest human cadavers, C. croceipalpis apparently mostly during the winter and early spring, and C. regalis mostly during the warmer autumn months."

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/229694335

Publicado el agosto 1, 2024 11:55 MAÑANA por traianbertau traianbertau | 2 comentarios | Deja un comentario

04 de agosto de 2024

Chaetocanthus insuetus Péringuey 1901

Original description & illustration in:
Péringuey, L. 1901. Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa, Transactions of the South African philosophical Society. Cape Town 12
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/36949#page/506/mode/1up
Fig. 21: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/36949#page/591/mode/1up
Chestnut brown, very briefly pubescent on the upper side, but with pectus, legs, and the outer basal margins of the prothorax very densely hairy, the hairs are flavous and very long; the labrum is also pubescent, and there is a bunch of long, pubescent hairs on each side of the head above the point of insertion of the antennae; head densely granular; antennae flavous; prothorax covered with small granules set close to one another; scutellum rugose; elytra covered with elongate, depressed granules set very close to one another, and having only one distinct stria along the suture and a faint trace of one or two more on the discoidal part; pygidium finely aciculate, pubescent, abdominal segments closely scabrose; femora and tibiae hardly punctate; metasternum slightly scabrose and grooved longitudinally.
Length 8.75-9 mm.; width 4.25 mm.
Hab. Cape Colony (Fraserburg, Carnarvon).

I have seen only two female examples of this remarkable insect, the habits of which are unknown.

Chaetocanthus-insuetus

Key to the species of Chaetocanthus (and key to genera), distributions map and illustrations in:
Scholtz, C. h. & Evans, A. V. 1987. A revision of the African Ochodaeidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). Journal Ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 1987
Vol. 50, NO.2
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA00128789_4311

iNat observations: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=656535

Publicado el agosto 4, 2024 07:22 MAÑANA por traianbertau traianbertau | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

08 de agosto de 2024

Eristalinus (Eristalinus) haplops (Wiedemann 1830)

This species resembles Eristalinus (Eristalodes) taeniops, but has spotted eyes. Eyes pilose above, male eyes holoptic; third antennal segment elongate, reddish below; facial tubercle shiny black; face strongly produced downward, subconical; antennal tubercle very prominent; posterior tarsi yellowish, with dark apices

Original description in:
Wiedemann, C.R.W. 1830. Aussereuropäische zweiflügelige Insekten. Als Fortsetzung des Meigenschen Werks. Zweiter Theil.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/88495#page/200/mode/1up
Translated from Latin & German:
Thorax brassy with white vittae, scutellum ferrugineous, abdomen with white bands, eyes simple.
[...]
Female: First abdominal segment not yellowish on the sides; fourth segment apically and fifth segment basally with common white band; a laterally abbreviated band runs through the yellow of the second segment.
[...]
Male: Antennae black with brown arista; lower face white pilose, with black central streak and oblique, straight lateral streaks; genae white with oval black spot; beard white. Eyes grey pilose, forehaed white, above the antennae slightly protruding, black; vertex black; occiput yellowish pilose; thorax (mesonotum) bronzy-greenish (aeneous) with four whitish vittae: the middle stripes are posteriorly abbreviated, the outer ones are interrupted; thorax sides greyish. Second abdominal segment basally brownish-black (band narrowed laterally), otherwise honey-colour, with a blurred whitish transverse spot,behind which there is a second small, almost triangular spot. Third segment broadly white at the base, slightly narrower brown posteriorly, a small indistinct transverse line in the middle of the front border. Fourth segment white, with brown central band. Genitals blackish-violet. All segments thinly whitish pilose; underneath white, with honey-coloured centre.

Photo of male on PINDIP:
https://www.pindip.org/eristalinus-haplops

Type locality: 'Kap' [= Cape of Good Hope]
Distribution: Probably a South African near-endemic (GBIF record from Lesotho]

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=664940&place_id=6987

Publicado el agosto 8, 2024 06:50 MAÑANA por traianbertau traianbertau | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

12 de agosto de 2024

Rhyzobius burmeisteri Mulsant 1850

Specimen from Lund collection, photos by @johan_bogaert

Rhyzobius-P4301993-1

Rhyzobius-P4301991-1

Rhyzobius-P4301989-Rhyzobiellus-burmeisteri-Rhyzobius-1

Original description in:
Mulsant, E. 1850. Species des Coléoptères trimères sécuripalpes. Annales des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, d’Agriculture et d’Industrie, Lyon (2) 2
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9443280#page/1024/mode/1up
Ovale; pubescent; d'un brun noir, en dessus, Elytres ornées chacune de deux taches arrondies, d'un rouge jaunâtre, subdiscales: l'une, au tiers: l'autre, aux cinq septièmes de la longueur.

Long. 0' n ,0036 (1 2/3 '). — Larg. 0' n ,0030 (1 1/31).

Corps ovale; faiblement ou médiocrement convexe; d'un brun noir et garni d'un duvet cendré grisâtre, en dessus : labre d'un rouge testacé obscur, Antennes et Palpes d'un rouge testacé livide sur leur première moitié, bruns sur la seconde. Prothorax en arc dirigé en arrière et bissinueux, à la base: ces sinuosités faisant paraître les angles postérieurs presque en forme de dent. Elytres obtusément arrondies à 1'extrémité; ornées chacune de deux taches d'un rouge jaunâtre, dune teinte peu vive, arrondies, situées presque sur le disque; la première, au tiers de la longueur, un peu plus rapprochée de la suture que du bord externe, égale aux deux septièmes de la largeur: la deuxième, un peu plus petite, aux cinq septièmes de la longueur, à peu près aussi distaute du bord externe que la première, un peu plus rapprochée de la suture. Repli, poitrine , pieds et partie médiaire des trois premiers arceaux du ventre, noirs: reste du ventre, fauve. Plaques abdominales en arc assez régulier, prolongées jusqu'aux trois cinquièmes de l'arceau.

[Oval body; weakly or poorly convex; black-brown and lined with grayish ash down, above: labrum of a dark testaceous red, Antennae and palps of a livid testaceous red on their first half, brown on the second. Prothorax in an arc directed backwards and bisinuate at the base: these sinuosities make the posterior angles appear almost tooth-shaped. Elytra obtusely rounded at the tip; each decorated with two spots of a yellowish red, of a faint tint, rounded, located almost on the disc; the first, a third of the length, a little closer to the suture than the external edge, equal to two-sevenths of the width: the second, a little smaller, five-sevenths of the length, approximately as distant from the outer edge than the first, a little closer to the suture. Fold, chest, feet and medial part of the first three arches of the belly, black: rest of the belly, fawn. Abdominal plates in a fairly regular arc, extended up to three-fifths of the arch.]

Patrie: le cap de Bonne-Espérance (collecl. Westermann)

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/235158594

Publicado el agosto 12, 2024 04:08 TARDE por traianbertau traianbertau | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario

13 de agosto de 2024

Chrysomya laxifrons Villeneuve 1914

This is one of three South African species with the anterior wing margin black/strongly infuscated.

  • Anterior spiracle white
  • Genae golden
  • Proepimeral seta present
  • Frons of female subparallel, fronto-orbital plate with upper part black and lower part bright, reddish
  • Eyes in male widely separated, frons at its narrowest point
    measuring 0.5 or more times eye width; without demarcation between dorsal and ventral facets

Original description in:
Villeneuve, J. 1914. Description d'espèces africaines nouvelles du genre Chrysomyia Rob.-Desv. (Dipt.). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 1914
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8246868#page/234/mode/1up

Photos of female museum specimen:
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1057539012

Photos from Natural History Museum London: https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/collection-specimens/resource/05ff2255-c38a-40c9-b657-4ccb55ab2feb?q=laxifrons&view_id=6ba121d1-da26-4ee1-81fa-7da11e68f68e&filters=preservative%3ADry+%28pinned%29&field=associatedMediaCount&value=

Distribution in southern Africa: Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa
New record from eSwatini on iNaturalist

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234134174

References:

Lutz, L. Williams, K. a., Villet, M. H., Ekanem, M. Szpila, K. 2018. Species identification of adult African blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of forensic importance. International Journal of Legal Medicine.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-017-1654-y

Irish, S. R., Lindsay, T, Wyatt, N. 2014. Key to Adults of Afrotropical species of the genus Chrysomya Robineau-Desvoidy. African Entomology 22(2)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276054123_Key_to_Adults_of_Afrotropical_Species_of_the_Genus_Chrysomya_Robineau-Desvoidy_Diptera_Calliphoridae

Publicado el agosto 13, 2024 10:12 MAÑANA por traianbertau traianbertau | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

16 de agosto de 2024

Declivitata larvalis (Mulsant 1850)

Original description in:
Mulsant, E. 1850. Species des coléoptères trimères sécuripalpes. Annales des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, d'Agriculture et d'Industrie (2) 2
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/36938#page/378/mode/1up
Translated from French:
Subhemispherical. Prothorax flavous, adorned with a basal border with five teeth, the medial of which forms the foot of an almost cup-shaped spot, black. Elytra decorated with a sutural border, and a marginal and each with a longitudinal black band: the latter without curvature at its base, extended up to three-quarters; adorned on each side of it with a testaceous-red band on a yellow background. Black belly. Femora partly black.

Differential diagnosis by Fürsch:
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/MittMuenchEntGes_077_0005-0031.pdf
Smaller than D. uncifera and D. olivieri, broadly oval. The black elytral stripe is bordered on both sides with yellow and then red stripes. This black longitudinal stripe reaches the base of the elytra. Reticulation and punctuation on pronotum and elytra clearly pronounced.

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/235940629

Publicado el agosto 16, 2024 12:48 TARDE por traianbertau traianbertau | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

19 de agosto de 2024

Chaoborus microstictus Edwards 1930

Only the single genus Chaoborus is known from the Afrotropical region, with 8 species described.

Chaoborus microstictus is widespread in Southern Africa.

Original description in:
Edwards, F.W. 1930. Notes on exotic Chaoborinae, with descriptions of new species (Diptera, Culicidae). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10) 6.
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933008673243
Head yellowish. Antennse entirely yellowish except for the last segment, which is black; all flagellar segments unusually short, the last two not longer than the others, terminal segment (thirteenth) somewhat stouter and more pubescent; verticils shorter than usual, the whole antenna resembling that of the Chironomid genus Tanypus. Palpi mainly dark brown, but second segment largely yellowish. Thorax pale whitish yellow; pronotal lobes dark brown; four brownish-yellow stripes on scutum. Abdomen yellowish. Legs whitish; femora and tibise without dark rings, even at the tip, but with numerous minute brown dots at the bases of the hairs; tarsi with tips of segments darkened. Wings whitish, with small black dots at the bases of the three forks, at the base of Rs, over the cros-veins, and at tips of all veins except R1 and R3. A small adventitious cross-vein (covered by a black dot) connects R1 with the costa near its tip, the actual tip of Rx being faint. Rs longer than in most species of this subgenus, with short spur at basal angle. Cell R, less than twice as long as its stem, its base level with or slightly beyond that of cell M1. M2 angled and slightly spurred at the base. Spur of Cu2 shorter than in most species of the subgenus.. Halteres chalk-white. Wing-length 3,5 mm.

Type locality: Harrismith, South Africa

Key to afrotropical species and illustrations in:
Verbeke, J. 1958. Chaoboridae (Diptera Nematocera). Exploration du Parc National Albert. Mission G.F. de Witte 94
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/institut-des-parcs-nationaux-du-congo/exploration-du-parc-national-albert-exploratie-van-het-nationaal-albert-park-mission-zending-g-f-de-witte-1933-1935/94-1958-mission-g-f-de-witte-chaoboridae/irscnb_p4137_rbins18810_94-5-74-red.pdf

Chaoborus-microstictus

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188584295

Publicado el agosto 19, 2024 01:21 TARDE por traianbertau traianbertau | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

20 de agosto de 2024

Esphalmenus peringueyi (de Bormans, 1900)

Quite rare earwig species, endemic to Cape, South Africa (other species of Esphalmenus genus known from South Africa and Andes region of South America only according to Steinmann 1989).
Originally described as Gonolabis peringueyi by de Bormans in 1900. Type and syntypes were collected from Caledon, Cape Colony.
Type stored in NHM, London, UK (no pictures available):
https://data.nhm.ac.uk/record/bb909597-dedf-427d-8c04-4c02b3a24db3/586211/1724112000000

Mentioned by Burr 1909 for different locations location in the Cape Colony (Caledon, Nieuwoudtville, Cape Town, Dunbrody).
Distributed in Eastern Cape and Western Cape.

Drawing by Burr of male specimen:
Esphalmenus-peringueyi

Observations on iNat:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/225285995 (male from Caledon)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/224161453 (female from Caledon)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/173636787 (male from Ceres)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26919044 (male from Malmesbury)

Key to differentiate from other Esphalmenus species in South Africa (based on adult males only):

  1. Black species; forceps without a dorsal process at the base of each branch, and branches less strongly curved; penultimate sternite
    not excised apically. . . .ecarinatus

  2. Reddish-brown or dark reddish-brown species; forceps with a dorsal process at the base of each branch of the forceps, and branches strongly curved; penultimate sternite excised apically. . . .3
  3. Abdomen very strongly widened posteriorly, ninth tergite nearly twice as wide as second; each branch of forceps with a large dorsal process at base. . . . capensis
  4. Abdomen less strongly widened posteriorly; each branch of forceps with a small dorsal process at base . . . . peringueyi

References:
de Bormans, A. (1900) Quelques Dermaptères du Musée Civique de Génes. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, 40, 441–467
BRINDLE, A. (1984). The Esphalmeninae (Dermaptera: Pygidicranidae): a group of Andean and Southern African earwigs. Systematic Entomology, 9(3), 281–292. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1984.tb00053.x
Burr, M. (1909) Notes on the Forficularia. - XV. The Esphalmeninae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 8(3), 249–257. https://ia802305.us.archive.org/5/items/biostor-58386/biostor-58386.pdf
Steinmann, H. (1989) World Catalogue of Dermaptera. Series Entomologica, 43, 934 pp.

Publicado el agosto 20, 2024 01:28 TARDE por permico permico | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario

30 de agosto de 2024

Bactrocera (Daculus) biguttula (Bezzi 1922) - Two-spotted Wild Olive Fruit Fly

Original description in:
Bezzi, M. 1922. Due nuovi Tripaneidi (Dipt.) infestanti frutti di Olea nell' Africa del Sud. Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. Agrar. R. Scuola Super. Agric. Portici 15
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8636049#page/304/mode/1up

Detailled description:
http://projects.bebif.be/fruitfly/descriptions/164.pdf
Wing length, 4.2-6.2 mm.
Head. Pedicel+1st flagellomere not longer than ptilinal suture. Face, antennal furrow with a dark spot. Frons, frontal setae 2, orbital seta 1.
Thorax. Scutum predominantly red brown, with a black stripe; postpronotal lobe bicoloured; notopleural callus yellow; notopleural xanthine absent; lateral postsutural vittae present (lateral fairly short, barely extending beyond anterior supra-alar seta); medial postsutural vitta absent. Scutellum with a broad redbrown stripe from base to apex (lateral margin yellow). Anepisternum with a stripe from notopleural callus to (or almost to) katepisternum; extended onto katepisternum. Laterotergal xanthine confined to katatergite.
Thoracic setae. Anterior notopleural seta present; anterior supra-alar seta absent; prescutellar acrostichal seta present; basal scutellar seta absent.
Wing. Basal cells bc and c without an almost complete covering of microtrichia; cell bm without microtrichia. Narrow subbasal raised section of cell br with microtrichia confined to anteriorly half. Crossvein R-M beyond middle of cell dm. Costal band complete; shallow, not extending below vein R2+3 before wing apex; barely expanded at apex. Anal streak present but narrow. Cells bc and c hyaline. Without any crossbanding.
Legs. Femora pale; rarely with mid- and hindfemora bicoloured (pale basally,
red-brown apically).
Abdomen. Red-brown, patterned fuscous; shape and patterning, see image. Tergites II-V separate.
Male. Tergite III with pecten, dense microtrichia adjacent end A1+Cu2, and hindtibia preapical "pad". Basal costal sections without specialised setae.
Female. Aculeus pointed; no torsion; length, 1.04mm.

Key in Copeland 2004
http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pdf/copeland-etal.pdf

Photo in:
Teixeira da Costa, L., Powell, C., van Noort, S., Costa, C., Sinno, M., Caleca, V., … van Asch, B. (2019). The complete mitochondrial genome of Bactrocera biguttula (Bezzi) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and phylogenetic relationships with other Dacini. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 126, 130–140. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.186
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.186

Host plants: wild species of Olea and Noronhia
Olea europaea cuspidata, Olea capensis capensis, Olea woodiana woodiana, Olea woodiana disjuncta, Noronhia foveolata, Noronhia battiscombei

Distribution: Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170476802
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140752268
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45786327

Publicado el agosto 30, 2024 11:28 MAÑANA por traianbertau traianbertau | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario