Mallota glabra De Meyer et al. 2024

Genus Mallota Meigen:

• bee-mimicking flies
• wing: vein R4+5 sinuate; cell r1 open
• metafemur moderately or strongly swollen, without tooth-like protuberance
• eyes pilose (in mainland Afrotropical species), holoptic or dichoptic in males

Species known from Southern Africa: M. dasyops (South Africa, Zimbabwe); M. glabra (South Africa); M. aenigma (Zimbabwe); M. extrema (South Africa, Mozambique); M. stipulata (South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)

Mallota glabra De Meyer et al 2024 (Diptera: Syrphidae)

First description in:
De Meyer et al. 2014. On the identity of the Afrotropical species of Mallota Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 958
https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2024.958.2675

A honey bee-like Eristaline hover fly with hairy eyes and body and thickened metafemur

• member of dasyops group: eyes with dense & long hairs, especially in lower third; male eyes dichoptic
• metafemur strongly swollen, medioventrally bare in distal half
• metatibia apically blunt (not pointed); pro- and mesotibia largely black
• wing largely hyaline; most areas microtrichose
• abdomen: T2 with pair of yellow-orange maculae narrowly separated along medial line
• body length: 12.5–14.5 mm; wing length: 9.0–11.0 mm.

Distribution: only known from South Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KZN, Limpopo)

Similar species: Mallota dasyops (apex of the metatibia pointed & medioventral part of the metafemur with short black pilosity).

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124716362
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120935624

Publicado el 12 de octubre de 2024 por traianbertau