The potential distribution of Bactrocera dorsalis: Considering phenology and irrigation patterns

A species in the Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) complex was detected in Kenya during 2003 and classified as Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White. Having spread rapidly throughout Africa, it threatens agriculture due to crop damage and loss of market access. In a recent revision of the B. dorsalis complex, B. invadens was incorporated into the species B. dorsalis. The potential distribution of B. dorsalis has been previously modelled. However, previous models were based on presence data and did not incorporate information on the seasonal phenology of B. dorsalis, nor on the possible influence that irrigation may have on its distribution. Methyl eugenol-baited traps were used to collect B. dorsalis in Africa. Seasonal phenology data, measured as fly abundance throughout the year, was related to each location's climate to infer climatic growth response parameters. These functions were used along with African distribution records and development studies to fit the niche model for B. dorsalis, using independent global distribution records outside Africa for model validation. Areas at greatest risk of invasion by B. dorsalis are South and Central America, Mexico, southernmost USA, parts of the Mediterranean coast, parts of Southern and Eastern Australia and New Zealand's North Island. Under irrigation, most of Africa and Australia appear climatically suitable. (Résumé d'auteur

The use of dog collars offers significant benefits to rabies vaccination campaigns : the case of Zanzibar, Tanzania

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : FILE S1: Questionnaire used during the KAP survey in Zanzibar. FILE S2: Overview of the vaccination date and survey date for each ward included in the study. FILE S3: Supplementary tables derived from the data collected in this study.DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The survey data file is available from the Open Science Framework database (https://osf.io/56wkj/) (accessed on 27 July 2023).Tools and resources that could increase dog vaccination coverage have become increasingly critical towards progressing the goal to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. In this regard, dog collars that are fitted during vaccination campaigns could potentially enhance owner participation. The use of dog collars will, however, increase the cost per dog vaccinated and the impact and benefit of this practice should be elucidated. This study evaluated the impact of dog collars by testing the perception and related behavioural influences in communities in Zanzibar. In this cross-sectional investigation—conducted approximately two months after the implementation of a mass dog vaccination (MDV) where dog collars were provided to vaccinated dogs—data were collected from 600 respondents in 56 municipal wards in Zanzibar. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were undertaken to determine the impact the collars had on respondents with regards to (i) engaging with the community dogs, (ii) health seeking behaviour after exposure, and (iii) overall participation during dog vaccination campaigns. From the data, it was evident that the collars had a positive impact on the community’s perception of dogs, with 57% of the respondents feeling safer around a dog with a collar, while 66% of the respondents felt less safe around a dog without a collar. Furthermore, the collars had a positive impact on participation during dog vaccination campaigns. Of the 142 respondents who owned dogs, 64% reported that the collars made them more likely to take their dogs for vaccination, and 95% felt that the collar was an important sign of the dog’s vaccination status. This study demonstrated that dog collars could not only improve participation during dog vaccination campaigns, but that they could also play a significant role in the community’s perception of rabies vaccination campaigns and vaccinated dogs in general.Boehringer Ingelheim.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/tropicalmedam2023BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologySDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) cultivation technique using re-usable substrate containers and comparison of mineral contents with common leafy vegetables

Mamiro et al. J. Appl. Biosci. 2014. Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) Cultivation technique using reusable substrate containers and comparison of mineral content with leafy vegetables.Alternative re-usable substrate containers for fructification are required because plastic bags currently used suffocate soil biotic entities. They are a cost for mushroom farmers who purchase plastic bags in every oyster mushroom crop and they are left as non-biodegradable wastes, which are disposed of to the environment after every oyster mushroom cropping. On the other hand, oyster mushroom contains essential nutritional elements comparable to leafy vegetables. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of substrate types and substrate containers on yield, biological efficiency, size and solid content of oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus; and to compare mineral content of mushrooms produced from different types of substrates to common leafy vegetables. Methodology and results: Substrate containers: clear plastic bags, re-usable substrate containers (RSC), coloured plastic bags, shelved clear plastic bags and substrates: banana leaves, rice straws and maize cobs were used to grow oyster mushrooms. The experiment was carried out in complete randomized block design (CRBD) in a factorial arrangement. The mineral content of oyster mushroom grown on rice straws, Leucaena leucocophala, sorghum grains, banana leaves and maize cobs substrates were compared in a CRBD to those of pumpkin leaves (Curcubita spp.), narrow-leaved African night shade (Solanum villosum), broad-leaved African night shade (Solanum scabrum), cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata), cabbage (Brassica spp.), sweet potato leaves (Ipomea batatas), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and cassava leaves (Manihot esculentus L.). Mushroom yields and BE in RSC were comparable to non-RSC. The highest yields (1,116.25 g/g) and BE (105.75%) were produced from rice straws substrate in coloured bags followed by RSC (yield 694.6 g/g, BE 65.6%). Mushroom solids content (19.4%) was highest from banana leaves substrates. The highest Fe, Zn, Se and Ca were obtained from amaranth, oyster mushrooms produced from rice straws, narrow- and broad-leaves African nightshade and pumpkin leaves respectively. Conclusion and application of results: The utilization of RSC to produce oyster mushrooms protects the environment from disposed plastic bags which are non-biodegradable and if burned may cause ill-health effect to the human. Additional research is needed to specify quality of material to be used in the manufacture of RSC and specifications to suit cultivation of oyster mushrooms. In addition, consumption of oyster mushrooms in combination with other vegetables complements availability of various essential dietary elements such as Fe, Zn, Se and Ca

Description of new Ceratitis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Africa, or how morphological and DNA data are complementary in discovering unknown species and matching sexes

This paper describes five new Ceratitis species from the eastern and southern parts of the Afrotropical Region: C. (Pterandrus) quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) taitaensis De Meyer & Copeland sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) sawahilensis De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov.; and C. (Ceratalaspis) flavipennata De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov. Their relationships with closely allied species within their respective subgenera are discussed where appropriate, and diagnostic characters are given. DNA barcodes are provided for all new species. In addition, the hitherto unknown male of C. (Pardalaspis) serrata De Meyer, 1996 is described, based on material collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recognition of these new species and sexes is the result of an integrative approach using morphological characters and DNA data

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) cultivation technique using re-usable substrate containers and comparison of mineral contents with common leafy vegetables

Mamiro et al. J. Appl. Biosci. 2014. Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) Cultivation technique using reusable substrate containers and comparison of mineral content with leafy vegetables.Alternative re-usable substrate containers for fructification are required because plastic bags currently used suffocate soil biotic entities. They are a cost for mushroom farmers who purchase plastic bags in every oyster mushroom crop and they are left as non-biodegradable wastes, which are disposed of to the environment after every oyster mushroom cropping. On the other hand, oyster mushroom contains essential nutritional elements comparable to leafy vegetables. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of substrate types and substrate containers on yield, biological efficiency, size and solid content of oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus; and to compare mineral content of mushrooms produced from different types of substrates to common leafy vegetables. Methodology and results: Substrate containers: clear plastic bags, re-usable substrate containers (RSC), coloured plastic bags, shelved clear plastic bags and substrates: banana leaves, rice straws and maize cobs were used to grow oyster mushrooms. The experiment was carried out in complete randomized block design (CRBD) in a factorial arrangement. The mineral content of oyster mushroom grown on rice straws, Leucaena leucocophala, sorghum grains, banana leaves and maize cobs substrates were compared in a CRBD to those of pumpkin leaves (Curcubita spp.), narrow-leaved African night shade (Solanum villosum), broad-leaved African night shade (Solanum scabrum), cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata), cabbage (Brassica spp.), sweet potato leaves (Ipomea batatas), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and cassava leaves (Manihot esculentus L.). Mushroom yields and BE in RSC were comparable to non-RSC. The highest yields (1,116.25 g/g) and BE (105.75%) were produced from rice straws substrate in coloured bags followed by RSC (yield 694.6 g/g, BE 65.6%). Mushroom solids content (19.4%) was highest from banana leaves substrates. The highest Fe, Zn, Se and Ca were obtained from amaranth, oyster mushrooms produced from rice straws, narrow- and broad-leaves African nightshade and pumpkin leaves respectively. Conclusion and application of results: The utilization of RSC to produce oyster mushrooms protects the environment from disposed plastic bags which are non-biodegradable and if burned may cause ill-health effect to the human. Additional research is needed to specify quality of material to be used in the manufacture of RSC and specifications to suit cultivation of oyster mushrooms. In addition, consumption of oyster mushrooms in combination with other vegetables complements availability of various essential dietary elements such as Fe, Zn, Se and Ca

Ceratitis (Pterandrus) quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio 2016, sp. nov.

<i>Ceratitis (Pterandrus) quilicii</i> De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov. <p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FE85EC42-12F6-4C76-80C2-CA8A7C4E7D5D</p> <p>Fig. 1</p> Etymology <p>Named in honour of the late Dr. Serge Quilici (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, CIRAD, La Réunion) who passed away in 2015. The species name should be treated as a noun in the genitive case.</p> Material examined <p> <b>Holotype</b></p> <p>TANZANIA: Ƌ, Nyandira, EGOlure trap, 4 May 2013, M. Mwatawala (RMCA coll Nr T19315).</p> <p> <b>Paratypes</b> (deposited in BMNH, NMK, RMCA, SANC, SUA, and USNM)</p> <p>TANZANIA: same locality as holotype: 2 ƋƋ, 4 May 2013 (coll Nr T 19315); 1 Ƌ, 1 Jun. 2013, coll Nr T 19471; 2 ƋƋ, 1 Jun. 2013 (coll Nr T 19474); 16 ƋƋ (1 Ƌ barcoded RMCA, AB 42864782, see Table 1), combined lures, 2006, M. Mwatawala; 33 ƋƋ, Mgeta Visada, EGOlure trap, 4 May– 29 Jun. 2013, M. Mwatawala.</p> <p> KENYA: 2 ƋƋ, Kirimiri Forest, reared ex fruits <i>Englerophytum natalense,</i> 23 Jan. 2002, coll Nr 1683; 1 Ƌ, Kirimiri Forest, reared ex fruits <i>Englerophytum natalense</i>, 21 Jan. 2003, coll Nr 2380, all R.S. Copeland.</p> <p> <b>Non-type material</b></p> <p>BOTSWANA: Gaborone.</p> <p>KENYA: Embu-Runyenjes; Kirimiri Forest; Taita Hills, near Ngangao Forest.</p> <p>MALAWI: Bvumbwe Research Station; Kumbali; Zomba.</p> <p>RÉUNION ISLAND: St. Pierre.</p> <p>SOUTH AFRICA: Addo; Arnoldton; Baltimore; Bavaria; Bloemfontein; Bonza Bay; Britstown; Burgershall; Cato Manor; Cedara; Citrusdal; Clanwilliam; Doreen Clark Nature Reserve; Duivelskloof; Dukuduku; Durban; East London; Enon Farm, near Richmond; Eshowe; Ferncilff Nature Reserve; Fort Beaufort; Gariepdam; Grahamstown; Haenertsburg; Wyllie’s Poort, Ingwe Motel; Jan Kempdorp; King William’s Town; Kirkwood; Knysna; Komatipoort; Kruger National Park; Kwambonambi; Louis Trichardt; Lynnwood; Malipsdrift; Marble Hall; Nelspruit; Nkandla; Nkwalini; Olifantshoek; Onrus River; Paarl; Pienaarspoort; Pietermaritzburg; Piketberg; Port Elizabeth; Port Shepstone; Porterville; Pretoria; Riebeek Kasteel; Roodeplaat; Rustenburg; Somerset West; Stellenbosch; Tshipise; Tzaneen; Uitenhage; Volksrust; Vryburg; Warner Beach; Wynberg.</p> <p>SWAZILAND: Ngonini Estates.</p> <p>TANZANIA: Amani; Arusha Municipality; Kibundi; Kidiwa; Langali; Lushoto; Mikese; Mlali; Morogoro Municipality; Moshi Municipality; Mgeta Msikitini; Nyandira; Pinde; Tengeru; Visada.</p> <p>ZIMBABWE: Harare; Vumba.</p> Description <p> <b>Male</b></p> <p>BODY LENGTH. 4.81 (3.68–5.68) mm; wing length: 5.55 (4.48–6.08) mm.</p> <p>HEAD (Fig. 1a). Antenna yellow. First flagellomere in lateral view 2–3 times as long as wide, obtuse apically. Arista short to medium pubescent, ventral proximal rays at most twice width of arista at base. Two frontal setae, thinner than, and subequal in length to, anterior orbital seta; two orbital setae, anterior orbital longer than posterior one; ocellar seta at least 4 times as long as ocellar triangle; postocellar seta black, shorter than lateral vertical seta. Frons convex, not protruding in lateral view, yellow to yellowish-white. Genal seta and setulae black. Face and occiput yellowish-white, the latter somewhat darker dorsally.</p> <p>THORAX (Fig. 1 b–c). Postpronotal lobe white to yellowish-white, without black middle spot around base of postpronotal seta. Scutum ground color greyish to greyish-brown, sometimes with orange tinge; with streaks and darker markings but without distinct spots except pair of separate prescutellar white markings, usually with pale yellowish-white area in between. Setae black. Anepisternum on ventral half darker yellowish-brown to brown; with pale pilosity, one anepisternal seta. Anatergite and katatergite white. Scutellum yellowish-white, usually with two narrow separate dark brown spots basally, sometimes less distinct; apically with three separate black spots, extending anteriorly to level of or just anterior to basal scutellar seta. Subscutellum black.</p> <p>LEGS (Fig. 1d, f). Slender; yellow or yellowish-white except where otherwise noted; setation mixed pale and black. Forefemur with dispersed rows of long black setulae posterodorsally, posteroventrally shorter and pale; ventral spine-like setae black. Midfemur with few dispersed pale setulae ventrally; midtibia thin at base, moderately and gradually broadened; anteriorly black with conspicuous silvery shine when viewed from certain angle on distal 0.66 to 0.75 (black color sometimes inconspicuous in teneral specimens but silvery shine is always present), black color usually not reaching ventral and dorsal margins, especially on basal part; with black feathering dorsally along distal 0.75 and ventrally along distal 0.66, occasionally to distal 0.75. Hindfemur at distal 0.25 with longer setulae dorsally and ventrally.</p> <p>WING (Fig. 1e). Markings yellowish-brown. Anterior apical band, subapical band and discal band present, posterior apical band absent; anterior apical band not touching discal band; subapical band isolated. Cross-vein R-M situated at or just before midlength of cell dm. Brown streaks and spots present in basal cells.</p> <p>ABDOMEN. Ground colour mainly yellow. Tergites 2 and 4 on posterior half with greyish microtrichosity; anterior margin sometimes narrowly brownish colored, especially laterally. Tergite 3 with posterior half patchily brownish, anterior half yellowish-brown, both parts not clearly demarcated; sometimes more extensively brown. Tergite 5 with basal half brownish, sometimes divided medially by paler spot.</p> <p> <b>Female</b></p> <p>Unknown (see remarks).</p> Distribution <p> Based upon the above listing, <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. is widely distributed throughout southern and eastern Africa with confirmed records from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It is also known from Réunion Island.</p> Host records <p> The recent recognition that <i>C. rosa</i> s.lat. actually comprises two distinct species (see Remarks below) requires a re-examination of all material previously reported under ‘ <i>C</i>. <i>rosa</i> ’, including records on host use. Reared material that could be studied and identified confirmed the following plants as hosts for <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov.: Myrtaceae: <i>Psidium cattleianum</i> Sabine, <i>P. guajava</i> L., <i>Syzygium jambos</i> (L.) Alston; Rosaceae: <i>Eriobotrya japonica</i> (Thunb.) Lindley, <i>Malus domestica</i> Borkh., <i>Prunus persica</i> (L.) Batsch, <i>Pyrus communis</i> L., <i>Rubus</i> sp.; Rubiaceae: <i>Coffea arabica</i> L.; Sapotaceae: <i>Chrysophyllum magalismontanum</i> Sond., <i>Englerophytum natalense</i> (Sond.) T.D. Penn.</p> Remarks <p> <i>Ceratitis quilicii</i> sp. nov. belongs to the subgenus <i>Pterandrus</i> and in particular to the <i>Pterandrus</i> section A as defined by Barr & Wiegmann (2009). Within this section, it belongs to the <i>Ceratitis</i> FAR complex as defined by Barr & McPheron (2006) and Virgilio <i>et al.</i> (2008). A recent study by Virgilio <i>et al.</i> (2013) recognized five microsatellite genotypic clusters within the complex, two of which correspond with <i>Ceratitis rosa</i>. Further studies including morphometrics, developmental physiology, cuticular hydrocarbons, pheromones and mating incompatibility (De Meyer <i>et al.</i> 2015b and references therein) provided evidence that these two genotypic clusters represent two distinct entities that should be considered separate species. Mwatawala <i>et al.</i> (2015) furthermore presented evidence that the two entities appear to have different environmental requirements, a case that was supported by some of the differences observed by Tanga <i>et al.</i> (2015). These studies also confirmed the earlier proposed hypothesis by Grout & Stoltz (2007) that <i>C. rosa</i> could actually include two separate entities with different ecological requirements. However, a study along an altitudinal transect in central Tanzania (Mwatawala <i>et al.</i> 2015), as well as re-examinations of material housed in natural history collections, have shown that the two species can co-occur in particular areas.</p> <p> This species is largely identical to <i>C. rosa</i>. Only the males can be distinguished by minor differences of the midtibia, <i>C. rosa</i> having a broader midtibia with black coloration reaching the ventral and dorsal margins of the tibia throughout (Fig. 1g), while <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. has a more slender tibia, gradually tapering towards the base, and with the black coloration not reaching the ventral and dorsal margins throughout the full length (Fig. 1f). Females cannot be differentiated currently and, therefore, no female specimens are included in the type series. The description of the female of <i>C. rosa</i> as given in De Meyer & Freidberg (2006) applies to <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. as well.</p> <p> <i>Ceratitis rosa</i> has been referred to as “R1”, “the hot type ” or “lowland type ” in previous literature regarding the two species, while <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. has been referred to as “R2”, “the cold type ” or “highland type ” (see De Meyer <i>et al.</i> 2015b and Hendrichs <i>et al.</i> 2015, and references therein). The DNA barcodes produced for five specimens of <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. from Tanzania, South Africa and La Réunion (see Table 1 for voucher details and accessions) have a mean p-distance = 0.6% (Tamura <i>et al.</i> 2013). As already observed (Virgilio <i>et al</i>. 2008), DNA barcoding does not allow the unambiguous identification of species within the <i>Ceratitis</i> FAR complex. <i>C. quilicii</i> sp. nov. is no exception, as it clusters together with vouchers of <i>C. rosa</i> from Kenya and Mozambique (the morphological identification of these latter was verified and confirmed as <i>C. rosa</i>) (Supplementary file).</p>Published as part of <i>Meyer, Marc De, Mwatawala, Maulid, Copeland, Robert S. & Virgilio, Massimiliano, 2016, Description of new Ceratitis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Africa, or how morphological and DNA data are complementary in discovering unknown species and matching sexes, pp. 1-23 in European Journal of Taxonomy 233</i> on pages 3-7, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.233, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3845923">http://zenodo.org/record/3845923</a&gt

Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) serrata De Meyer 1996

Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) serrata De Meyer, 1996 Fig. 6 Material examined Holotype DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: ♀, Yangambi, 17 Nov. 1960, J.M. McGough (TAU). Non type material DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Masako, near Kisangani: 16 ƋƋ, 21 Mar. 2008; 11 ƋƋ, 28 Mar. 2008; 4 ƋƋ, 25 Apr. 2008; 5 ƋƋ, 4 Apr. 2008; 1 Ƌ, 2 May 2008, all methyl eugenol trap, J.-L. Juakaly (RMCA); 1 ♀, Congo River Expedition, Bomane, 19–24 May 2010, cue lure trap, R. Emeleme & M. Virgilio (RMCA). Description Male HEAD (Fig. 6 a–b). Antenna orange. First flagellomere in lateral view 2–3 times as long as wide, obtuse apically. Arista short pubescent, ventral proximal rays at most equal to width of arista at base. Two frontal setae, thinner than, and equal in length, to anterior orbital seta; two orbital setae, anterior orbital longer than posterior one; ocellar seta 3–4 times as long as ocellar triangle; postocellar seta black, shorter than lateral vertical seta. Frons flattened, slightly protruding in lateral view, completely covered with silvery shine. Genal seta and setulae black. Face orange, occiput yellowish. THORAX (Fig. 6 c–d). Postpronotal lobe greyish to greyish-yellow, without black middle spot around base of postpronotal seta. Scutum ground color greyish-brown, sometimes with golden orange tinge; with streaks and darker markings but without distinct spots except for darkish spot around prescutellar acrostichal seta, and pale prescutellar semi-circular marking along posterior margin near prescutellar acrostichal seta. Setae black; setulae mainly pale; black setulae restricted to area at mesal end of tranverse suture extending posteriorly to prescutellar acrostical and dorsocentral setae. Anepisternum ventral half brownish, dorsal half more greyish, completely covered with black pilosity, except for horizontal stripe below dorsal margin with white pilosity; three anepisternal setae. Anatergite and katatergite brownish. Scutellum dark yellowish, apical margin with three separate black spots, anteriorly extending anteriorly beyond basal scutellar setae; with two large roundish black spots basally. Subscutellum black. LEGS. Slender; yellow-orange, midfemur more brownish; with dispersed and mainly black pilosity. Forefemur with ventral setae black. WING. Markings dark brown. Anterior apical band, subapical band and discal band present, posterior apical band absent; anterior apical band touching discal band; subapical band isolated. Cross-vein R-M situated at midlength of cell dm. Brown streaks and spots present in basal cells. ABDOMEN (Fig. 6e). Ground colour mainly greyish to pale orange; with darker spots on all tergites. With mixed pale and black pilosity. Distribution Congo (Democratic Republic). Host plants Unknown. Remarks Ceratitis serrata was originally described from a female collected in Yangambi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trapping with methyl eugenol at Masako (near Kisangani and approx. 100 km east of Yangambi) in 2008 collected male specimens that did not match any of the known species within the subgenus Pardalaspis. Virgilio et al. (2011) reported a female specimen of C. serrata from Bomane along the Congo River, further west of Yangambi. DNA barcoding revealed that the COI sequences obtained from the male specimen from Masako (series of 21.III.2008 AccessID 13954, AB33598909) and the female specimen from Bomane (AccessID 15755, AB40159308) differed by a p-distance of only 0.5% (see Table 1; Supplementary file) with a large barcoding gap (corresponding to 7% similarity) separating C. serrata from the second closest match. It was therefore considered that the material from Masako represents the hitherto unknown male of C. serrata. Male specimens of C. serrata can be readily differentiated from other species within the subgenus Pardalaspis by the combination of the following characters: frons completely silvery shining; face uniform orange coloured; anterior margin of scutum same colour as middle part; anepisternum largely covered with black pilosity, base of scutellum with a pair of distinct black spots.Published as part of Meyer, Marc De, Mwatawala, Maulid, Copeland, Robert S. & Virgilio, Massimiliano, 2016, Description of new Ceratitis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Africa, or how morphological and DNA data are complementary in discovering unknown species and matching sexes, pp. 1-23 in European Journal of Taxonomy 233 on pages 18-20, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.233, http://zenodo.org/record/384592

Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) taitaensis De Meyer & Copeland 2016, sp. nov.

<i>Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) taitaensis</i> De Meyer & Copeland sp. nov. <p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 1BFD784E-BA50-4D89-899A-707DD7D6A3B6</p> <p>Fig. 3</p> Etymology <p>The name is considered as an adjective derived from the geographical name ‘Taita’ referring to the Taita Hills, located in southeastern Kenya. The Taita Hills are the northernmost block of the Eastern Arc Mountain chain.</p> Material examined <p> <b>Holotype</b></p> <p> KENYA: Ƌ, Vuria, reared from fruits of <i>Lepidotrichilia volkensii</i>, 16 May 2012, R.S. Copeland (NMK) (CHIESA coll. Nr 228).</p> <p> <b>Paratypes</b> (deposited in NMK, ICIPE, RMCA, BMNH, and NMNH)</p> <p>KENYA: same locality as holotype: 3 ƋƋ, 2 ♀♀, 6 Jun. 2012, CHIESA coll. Nr 170; 2 ƋƋ, 6 Jun. 2012, CHIESA coll. Nr 171; 10 ƋƋ, 10 ♀♀, 16 May 2012, CHIESA coll. Nr 228 (2 ƋƋ, 2 ♀♀ barcoded</p> <p> RMCA, see Supplementary file); 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀, 10 Jul. 2012, CHIESA coll. Nr 261; 33 ƋƋ, 37 ♀♀, 22 Aug. 2012, CHIESA coll. Nr 269, all R.S. Copeland, reared from <i>Lepidotrichilia volkensii</i> (Gürke) Leroy.</p> Description <p> <b>Male</b></p> <p>BODY LENGTH. 5.61 (5.04–6.08) mm; wing length: 6.20 (5.68–6.88) mm.</p> <p> HEAD (Fig. 3a). Antenna yellow. First flagellomere in lateral view twice as long as wide; obtuse apically. Arista short to medium pubescent, ventral proximal rays at most twice width of arista at base. One frontal seta, thinner than, and subequal in length to, anterior orbital seta; two orbital setae, anterior seta longer than posterior one; ocellar seta about 3–4 times as long as ocellar triangle; postocellar seta black, shorter than lateral vertical seta. Frons convex, not protruding in lateral view; yellow to orange, with greyish microtrichosity on posterior half. Gena broader than in other <i>Ceratitis</i> species (maximum diameter of eye versus height of gena 2.5–3.0), genal seta and genal setulae yellow, latter sometimes blackish.</p> <p>THORAX (Fig. 3 b–c). Postpronotal lobe yellowish-white to white; with black middle spot around base of postpronotal seta. Scutum ground colour shining yellow-brown to dark brown, with silvery microtrichosity covering most of dorsum, except circular area posterior to mesal end of transverse suture and in trapezoid area extending posteriorly from dorsocentral setae to anterior margin of scutellum, and narrowly along lateral margins; sublaterally the microtrichosity extends posteriorly to the intralar seta; narrow area along anterior margin, extending posteriorly along midline and posterior of postpronotal lobe, with less dense microtrichosity. Anepisternum yellowish-white, lower margin darker; with pale pilosity, one anepisternal seta. Scutellum yellowish-white, with three yellow-brown spots restricted to apical margin and ventral side; area between spots darker yellowish coloured. Subscutellum entirely brown to black.</p> <p>LEGS. Slender; yellow to yellowish-orange, tarsi sometimes slightly paler than rest of leg; with dispersed pale pilosity. Forefemur with dark brown ventral spine-like setae. Hindfemur at distal 0.25 with dark brown setae dorsally.</p> <p> WING (Fig. 3e). Markings brownish to yellowish-brown. Of typical bands, only anterior apical band distinct, including pterostigma and area posterior of pterostigma to vein R4+5; furthermore with brownish spot covering area surrounding cross-vein R-M (i.e., apical margin of cell br) and basal third of cell r4+5, continued in apical half of cell dm and anterior third of cell m, also broadly fused with anterior apical band; additional small marks in middle of cell cu 1 and basal part of cell m. Cross-vein R-M at or just beyond midlength of cell dm. Brown streaks and spots present in basal cells but poorly developed.</p> <p>ABDOMEN (Fig. 3d). Ground colour yellow to orange-brown. Tergites 2 and 4 on posterior half to twothirds with greyish microtrichosity.</p> <p> <b>Female</b></p> <p> As male except for the following characters: gena less broad (maximum eye diameter to gena height ratio less than 2.5). Wing with well developed bands as in other <i>Ceratitis</i> species (Fig. 3f): discal band interrupted in cell dm; anterior apical band and discal band separated or only narrowly touching; subapical band narrowly touching anterior part of discal band; posterior apical band isolated. Oviscape orange, with dispersed dark brown to black pilosity. Tergal-oviscapal ratio (= length of abdominal tergites 1–5 versus length of oviscape): 1.5–2. Aculeus (Fig. 3 g–h) flattened, 7–8 times longer than broad, apex bifurcated, and with pair of subapical protuberances.</p> Distribution <p>Kenya.</p> Host plants <p> Reared from fruits of <i>Lepidotrichilia volkensii</i> (Gürke) Leroy (Meliaceae).</p> Remarks <p> <i>Ceratitis whartoni</i> was described by De Meyer & Copeland (2009) from forested areas in the Central Highlands of Kenya (Gatamayu Forest, Nyanduma Forest, Mt. Kenya Forest), all reared from fruits of <i>Lepidotrichilia volkensii</i> (Meliaceae). It was an enigmatic species because of the dimorphic wing pattern, with that of the male largely differing from the standard wing banding found in most other <i>Ceratitis</i> species. A series of specimens reared from the same host plant collected in Taita Hills (approximately 400 km southeast of the nearest site of <i>C. whartoni</i>) are morphologically almost identical, with only slight differences in wing pattern and female aculeus (male wing with dark marking in cell dm occupying more than half of cell in <i>C. whartoni</i>, less than half in <i>C. taitaensis</i> sp. nov.; female wing with discal band complete in <i>C. whartoni</i>, partially interrupted in cell dm in <i>C. taitaensis</i> sp. nov.; aculeus with bifurcated apex more slender in <i>C. taitaensis</i> sp. nov. (less than one-third of entire width) and invagination less deep than in <i>C. whartoni</i>). However, the analysis of the available DNA barcodes of <i>C. whartoni</i> (Table 1; Supplementary file) revealed remarkable genetic differentiation from <i>C. taitaensis</i> sp. nov. (p-distance = 8.5%). It was, therefore, decided to recognize this as a separate species. The Taita Hills are a chain of forested mountain tops surrounded by the flat and dry Tsavo Plains. They form the northernmost mountainous massif of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a chain of ancient crystalline mountains (Burgess <i>et al</i>. 2007) and are considered a major biodiversity hotspot (Meyers <i>et al</i>. 2000). We place this species in the subgenus <i>Ceratalaspis</i> for the same reasons as outlined in De Meyer & Copeland (2009) regarding the placement of <i>C. whartoni</i>.</p>Published as part of <i>Meyer, Marc De, Mwatawala, Maulid, Copeland, Robert S. & Virgilio, Massimiliano, 2016, Description of new Ceratitis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Africa, or how morphological and DNA data are complementary in discovering unknown species and matching sexes, pp. 1-23 in European Journal of Taxonomy 233</i> on pages 10-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.233, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3845923">http://zenodo.org/record/3845923</a&gt