יומן של Insects - Southern Africa (identified for the 1st time on iNat or difficult to identify)

Cylindromyia marginalis (Diptera: Tachinidae)

Scutellum and sides of mesonotum reddish. Abdomen red with black basal segment and median black vitta. Half of wing infuscated.

Original description in:
Wiedemann, C.R.W. 1824. Munus rectoris in Academia Christiana Albertina aditurus analecta entomologica ex Museo Regio Havniensi maxime congesta profert iconibusque illustrat. Regio typographeo scholarum, Kiliae
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/148003#page/45/mode/1up

Redescription in:
Wiedemann, C.R.W. 1828. Aussereuropäische Zweiflügelige Insekten
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/88495#page/284/mode/1up

Key: Curran 1934 https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933408654877

Type locality: Western Cape ('Prom. bon. sp.')

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234113153
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104401661
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/192915932
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/154275806
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113592161

Pseudogonia fasciata (Diptera: Tachinidae)

Abdomen shiny black with 3 narrow white bands (without any red parts). Scutellum reddish-brown, without apical setae. Vertex yellowish-reddish in ground colour.

Original description in:
Wiedemann, C.R.W. 1819. Beschreibung neuer Zweiflügler aus Ostindien und Afrika. Zoologisches Magazin 1(3)
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/51679#page/33/mode/1up

The 2 Pseudoginia species known to occur in South Africa (P. fasciata and P. rufifrons) can be distinguished via the key (and figures of the abdomen) in:
Cerretti, P. 2004. A new species of Pseudogonia Brauer & Bergenstamm from Sardinia, and a key to the West Palaearctic species (Diptera: Tachinidae). Stuttgarter Beiträge Naturkunde Serie A [Biologie] – 659_A
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Stuttgarter-Beitraege-Naturkunde_659_A_0001-0011.pdf

Couplet 2 of the key:
2 Parafacial at its narrowest point about half (or less) as wide as face (measured at its widest point in frontal view) (Fig. 6); head shape as in Fig. 7. Prementum about 4–6 times as long as wide. Anterior row of setulae on parafacial well differentiated from the posterior row (Fig. 6). Abdominal tergites 3–5 microtrichose on anterior 2/3–5/6 of each segment, showing shifting spots (Fig. 12). Hind tibia usually with 2 dorsal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. rufifrons (Wiedemann)
– Parafacial at its narrowest point about as wide as face (measured at its widest point in frontal´view) (Fig. 8); head shape as in Fig. 9. Prementum very long, about 8 times as long as wide. Anterior row of setulae on parafacial not so differentiated from the posterior row. Abdominal tergites 3–5 each with a transverse band of light grey, dense microtrichosity on anterior 1/3–1/2 (Fig. 13). Hind tibia with 3 dorsal preapical setae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. fasciata (Wiedemann)

Type locality: Western Cape ('Prom. bon. sp.')

Distribution: Afrotropical: South Africa, Zimbabwe. Palaearctic: Europe (SW. Eur.), N. Africa (Canary Is.).

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/245612935
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241318855

How to tell Spilostethus rivularis and S. crudelis explained by @dhjacobs
over here

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/245735552

Face not strongly produced, facial tubercle yellow. Eyes pilose, with numerous small black dots. Thorax above with bronzy vittae. Scutellum yellow translucent with yellow and black hairs. Abdomen: 2nd segment with broad black basal band which is usually is (almost) connected with black posterior border.

Original description in:
Adams, C. F. 1905. Diptera africana. I. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bull. 3
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4343055#page/177/mode/1up

Eristalis dissimilis, n. sp.
Male: Eyes contiguous above, brownish pilose, which is most prominent above, and with numerous small blackish spots; vertical triangle black pilose; front and face black, grayish pollinose and white pilose, facial tubercle and oral margin ing yellowish, sides of face on lower half nearly devoid of pollen; cheeks black, mostly shining; occiput yellowish-gray pollinose; proboscis shining black; antennae yellow, upper margin brownish black, brownish arista bare. Thorax yellowish-gray pollinose; mesouotum with four bronze, subshining vittae; pile light yellow; scutellum yellowish translucent, pile of base and margin light yellow, that of the dorsum black; halteres yellow; pleurae largely subshining black. First abdominal segment gray pollinose, yellowish on sides, second segment yellow, with an opaque, black cross-band on base attenuated laterally, the apical cross-band is not attenuated laterally, is narrower and opaque black except centrally along posterior margin, where it is shining bronze, in most specimens the two bands are nearly connected centrally by a brownish longitudinal vitta; third segment yellow, posterior margin broadly subshining black, a brown spot centrally on anterior part; fourth segment shining black, anterior margin, except laterally, reddish yellow, back of this is a narrow, yellowish-gray pollinose, transverse band, sometimes interrupted in the middle; hypopygium shining black; pile of abdomen yellow, on dorsum of first segment, and lateral margins of remaining segments, white. Legs shining black, base of femora indistinctly, knees, basal two-thirds of the four anterior tibiae, base of hind tibiae narrowly, and the tarsi, except the third and fourth joints of the four anterior feet and last three joints of hind feet, yellow; pile of femora whitish, different parts of tibiae and tarsi covered with pile of the same color. Wings hyaline, veins brownish, stigma small. Length 10 mm.

Type locality: Harare, Zimbabwe
Numerous GBIF records from Zimbabwe and Northern South Africa
iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69998542

Cordiform, slightly pointed on the posterior end, prothorax black, densely clothed with white pubescence. Elytra red, decorated with seven yellow spots and a black border.

Original description and illustration in Fürsch 1991, page 265 & fig 150 (page 287)
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/ENT_0012_0217-0316.pdf

Original description translated from German:
Henosepilachna tricolorata spec. nov.
At first glance, similar to H. natalensis [now Chnootriba natalensis], but slightly broader and, above all, with a different position of the spots: 2, 2, 2, 1. Basic and marginal coloring of the elytra, of the head and pronotum exactly as in H. natalensis. Spots, however, very regularly arranged in three rows of 2 round yellow spots and at the apical end there is a spot like that of H. natalensis. Punctuation, pubescence and femoral lines as in H. natalensis. Claw tooth small and rounded. [...]
Length: 6.1-6.8 mm; width: 5.9-6.3
Material: Holotype: M, Pretoria March 1970. 2 paratypes: Cape Province East London April 13, 1952 (CF). No types: Natal: Pietermaritzburg leg. HAAF Dec. 1959 (CF).

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/244947182

Black species with brown stigma and a dark spot on the wing tip, third and seventh veins strongly curved.
Can be confused with A. praeusta and A. sapphirina

Original description in:
Curran, C.H. 1938. Records and descriptions of African Syrphidae II (Diptera). American Museum Novitates 1010.
https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/585f6b20-0acb-4778-b38e-174589071418

Black, the legs mostly reddish; wings tinged with brown except basally and with trace of preapical brown spot. Length, about 9 mm.
MALE.-Head metallic blackish blue in ground color, the frontal and vertical triangles shining black; pile black, pale yellow on the occiput, the upper occipital cilia brownish yellow. Frontal triangle rather small, moderately convex, the sides and upper border with pile, the middle bare, a very small spot of cinereous pollen above. Vertical triangle elongate and narrow, the row of hair wholly black. Occiput and face cinereous white pollinose. Oral margin strongly oblique. Face perpendicular, the tubercle of medium size and more prominent than the antennal base, shining black. Antennae reddish, the third segment slightly darkened above, one half longer than wide, subcylindrical, the apex broadly rounded; arista brown on apical half.
Thorax shining black, the pleura with obscure yellowish pollen in the middle and whitish pollen on blackish-blue ground posteriorly. Pile yellowish, black behind the suture except in the middle, very pale on the pleura.
Legs reddish, the coxae, posterior femora except the ends and the posterior tibiae on the apical three-fourths, brown. Pile inconspicuous, pale, mostly black on the posterior femora and tibiae, long and blackish posteriorly on the middle femora.
Wings tinged with brown on the apical two-thirds, the stigma dark brown. Between the tips of the second and third veins there is a narrow brown spot along the costa that quickly merges into the pale field. Squamae and fringe white. Halteres pale yellow.
Abdomen shining black, with opaque markings, the sides of the first segment somewhat bluish. Sides of the second segment narrowed to the basal fourth, thence with parallel sides to the apical fourth which is slightly swollen and bears an incomplete opaque fascia; third segment decidedly longer than wide, increasing in width from the base to apex; fourth segment longer than wide and gently tapering apically; fifth segment three times as wide as long. Third segment with a large opaque triangle occupying the apical half except laterally, the fourth with a large, subopaque triangle extending forward from the apical fourth almost to the base, the fifth with the broad apex bronzed. Pile black, obscure yellowish on the basal two segments, whitish on the sides and broad base of the third, the fourth with a broad basal fascia of appressed, sparse, white pile that is greatly expanded inside the lateral margins but does not reach the sides. Genitalia shining black. Venter bluish, with broad, opaque bands on the apices of the sternites.

Type locality: Maputo, Mozambique
A widespread Afrotropical species, numerous records from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

iNat observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148648698

Diagnosis: primary costa formed by long spines, similar to those in Somaticus (Clinocranion) spinosus, but approximated to suture and situated at about middle of elytron; the epipleural margination double, with the upper edge formed by long spines, together with its submarginal depression entirely visible in dorsal aspect.

Original description in:
Peringuey, L. 1892.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36878898#page/218/mode/1up
Gen. Trachynotus. Latr.
T. Lightfooti.
Oblongus, niger, pilis decumbentibus sericeis tectus; prothorace transverso, lateribus valde angulatis; elytris oblengo-ovatis, sub-deplanatis, postice acuminiatis, disco margineque laterali spinis acutis seriatis in singulo armatis.
Long. 11-13, lat. 4-6 mm.
Oblong, black, covered with short decumbent silky greyish hairs, and also with a white tomentum leaving two rouud denuded spots on each elytron, the postical one the largest of the two; head punctuated, eyes raised; prothorax transverse with the outer sides acute hardly convex; elytra oblongo-ovate, little convex, once and a half as broad in its greatest width as the prothorax, and acuminated behind; each one has on the disk a row of long, sharp spines slightly directed backwards; these spines are equi-distant from one another; the outer margin has also a row of short spines arranged in the same manner and reaching from the shoulder to the apex. Some examples (female) have sometimes traces of an intermediate series of very short spines between the suture and discoidal row. The underside is briefly pilose, the legs very long and slender, the claws and spurs reddish.

Captured near Port Nolloth, Little Naniaqualand, by Mr. R. 'Light-foot, after whom I propose to name it.

Illustrated in: Koch C. 1955. Monograph of the Tenebrionidae of southern Africa Vol I (Tentyriinae, Molurini Trachynotina: Somaticus Hope). Transvaal Museum Memoir 7. Plate V, fig. 9.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0000012_541

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240751304
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240187362

Medium sized, with characteristic leather-like sculpture of elytra. Macrosculpture leather-like, microsculpture consists of a fine and widely spaced granulation. Integument, except for the top of
elevations, densely shagreened, matt.
Inner surface of anterior tibia densely denticulate in male. Posterior half of anal sternite deeply impressed. Posterior margin of anal sternite sharply marginate

Detailled description, distribution map and photo in:
Endrody-Younga, S. 1988. Revision of the genus Anomalipus Latreille, 1846
http://the-eis.com/elibrary/sites/default/files/downloads/literature/Revision%20of%20the%20genus%20Anomalipus%20Latreille.pdf
Photo of holotype Plate 21D: https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA090799001_18

Distribution: South-eastern Cape
Type locality: Uitenhage

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240921834

Head thickly clothed with decumbent silky pile. Body sparsely clothed with very elongate, upstanding yellowish hairs. Antennae elongate and slender, fourth segment narrowly fusiform and curved. Pronotum with anterior lobe moderately convex. Hemelytra brachypterous, membrane reduced, mesally not exceeding fifth abdominal tergite, acuminate posteriorly.

Original description (Paradieuches longisetosus) in:
Slater, J.A. 1964. Hemiptera (Heteroptera) Lygaeidae. In: Handstrom, Brinck & Rudebeck (Eds.). South African Animal Life, 10, 15–228.

Photo of holotype (Lund collection): https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=Paradieuches+longisetosus+

Type localiy: South Africa, Western Cape, Swartberg pass, Platberg

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/240020705

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